Transcriptome analysis of chitin-treated tomato

Chitin, an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine polymer, is a component of fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons. This polymer can be used used as a fertilizer or soil amendment to enhance crop growth. However, the polymeric chitin is difficult to handle due to its insolubility in water. We recently developed chitin nanofiber (CNF), which has a highly uniform structure of 10-20 nm thickness and shows high dispersing ability in water. In this study, the transcriptome analysis by RNA-seq was conducted to elucidate global changes in gene expression in shoots and roots of CNF-treated tomato.