Comprehensive transcriptome profiling to identify genes involved in pistil abortion of Japanese apricot

Flower development exists as a key period in the angiosperms life cycle and the proper development is considered with its reproductive success. Pistil abortion is one of the widely distributed aspects of berry plants and its basic mechanism in Japanese apricot is quite unclear and needs thorough investigation. The present study was carried out to get a deep insight into the pistil abortion mechanism in Japanese apricot using a transcriptomic approach. A large number of DEGs were identified from different development stages of normal and abortive pistils. Pair-wise comparison analysis was performed as LY1 vs DQD1, LY2 vs DQD2, and LY3 vs DQD3 and produced 3590, 2085, and 2286 transcripts, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO) showed that different metabolic processes, plant hormones, developmental processes, and photosystem-related genes were involved in pistil abortion. The pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment of plant hormone's signal transduction and circadian rhythm pathways. Furthermore, transcription factors such as MYB, MADS-box, and NAC family showed lower expression in abortive pistils. The current study presents a new strategy for advanced research and understanding of the pistil abortion process in Japanese apricot and provides a possible reference for other deciduous fruit trees.