Petunia x hybrida Transcriptome or Gene expression

We report the application of sequencing-by-synthesis technology for high-throughput profiling of small RNAs involved in Chalcone synthase A (CHS-A) sense cosuppression in petunia. Sense cosuppression is a classical form of eukaryotic post-transcriptional gene silencing. It was first reported in transgenic petunia, where a transgene overexpressing the host Chalcone Synthase-A (CHS-A) gene caused the degradation of the homologous transcripts and the loss of flower pigmentation. Though sense cosuppression is recognized as an RNA silencing mechanism, little evidence has been yet provided demonstrating its association with the generation of individual small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that are the assumed determinants. In this work, the deep sequencing of small RNAs in cosuppressed transgenic petunia and WT petunia respectively allowed for the identication of siRNAs that vastly predominate in the silenced flower and guide prominent cleavage events in CHS-A mRNA. Overall design: Examination of 2 small RNA populations from WT and cosuppressed petunia petals respectively