Transcriptomic analysis of leaves and leaf cells from the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus

The goal of this study is to investigate differential transcription profiles of leaf material/cells accumulating different levels of alkaloids in the anticancer plant Catharanthus roseus. Overall design: Gene expression profiling was performed for three biological replicates of: i) protoplasts of specific leaf cells specialized in alkaloid accumulation (idioblasts) and their control mesophyll protoplasts, total leaf protoplasts, and origin leaves; ii) 4 different developmental stages of leaves from plants growing in two different conditions leading to differential accumulation of alkaloids.