Differential behaviour to drought response in 'Koroneiki' and 'Martina', two Olea europaea cultivars. Transcritome of Olea europaea Koroneiki and Martina

This study represents the first transcriptomic investigation comparing gene expression responses of two olive cultivars ‘Koroneiki’ and ‘Martina’. The first cultivar, ‘Koroneiki’, is drought sensitive, while ‘Martina’, is highly tolerant. Both were subjected to moderate and severe drought conditions. While ‘Koroneiki’ triggers an immediate global response of all its genes that is reflected already at the point of moderate drought, ‘Martina’, enters a state of “dormancy” slowing down all its primary metabolic processes and adapting its circadian rhythms to the new dangerous situation.