Transcriptome profile reveals stress-responsive fusion transcripts in Chickpea

This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of fusion transcripts in Cicer arietinum, uncovering a substantial repertoire of fusion events across diverse tissues and abiotic stress conditions. Through integrative analysis using multiple detection tools and cross-validation with genomic data, we identified 1,750 fusion transcripts, including 328 unique fusions involving 269 distinct gene pairs. Notably, 423 genes were found to participate in fusion formation, accounting for approximately 1.4% of the chickpea genome. The validation of selected fusion events through RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing confirms the reliability of our computational predictions. Furthermore, the observed differential expression of certain fusion transcripts under stress conditions suggests a potential regulatory role in stress response.