RNA-Seq analysis of wildtype Populus ussuriensis root in response to PEG stress

Drought is one of the major environmental problem in terms of limiting the survival of plant. Roots are the first plant organ to sense drought stress, so it is important to understanding of the molecular machanisms of drought stress responses in the roots. Here we aim to characterized the gene expression profile in Populus ussuriensis roots at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 120 h after the start of PEG-induced drought stress. A total of 2 μg RNA per sample was used to generate sequencing libraries using the NEBNext® Ultra™ RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina® (#E7530L, NEB, USA). Libraries were sequenced in 150 bp paired-end mode, using an Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform. Our results provide a global view of gene expression profile that contributes to drought resistance in Populus ussuriensis, and meaningful information for genetic engineering research in the future. Three-week-old Populus ussuriensis seedlings with uniform root growth were then further transferred to PEG liquid media containing 6% PEG 6000 for 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 120 h; includes 18 samples: 3 replicates each of 6 time points treated with 6% PEG