Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) leaf and root transcriptome under abiotic stress

Sweet potato is an important non-cereal food crop with high significance in the economy of the southern US states. Current sweet potato cultivars showed limited tolerance to abiotic stress in early vegetative phases of development, manifested through slow or reduced growth, yield decrease, and blemished storage tubers. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying stress response and adaptation in sweet potato is critical for the future introgression of stress tolerance in new cultivars. This study provide s a comprehensive evaluation of the transcriptome changes in the leaf and mature tuberous roots of sweet potato cultivars upon challenge with various abiotic stress factors. The transcriptomes were analyzed using the Illumina sequencing technology, followed by comprehensive statistical and experimental analyses of the data to reveal genes and pathways associated with plant response to abiotic stress.