Project description:The total RNA were extracted from pooled tissues of leaves and flowers from several plants of sacred lotus using TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Then small RNAs ranging in 18–30 nucleotides were size fractionated electrophoretically, isolated from the gel, ligated with the 5′ and 3′ RNA adapters. The ligated product was reverse transcribed and subsequently amplified using 10–12 PCR cycles. The purified PCR product was sequenced using Illumina Genome Analyzer II. The qualified reads were used to predict phased small interfering RNAs from Chinese sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.).
Project description:Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn) belongs to the family Nymphaeaceae, and is a popular aquatic vegetable that is rich in nutrients. It is widely cultivated in China, and many varieties of lotus are used for different purposes, suited to different climates, and consumed in different ways. Lotus is commonly produced by asexual propagation, so mutation through hybridization and variation fixed by asexual propagation are the main ways to create new varieties. Therefore, the formation of adventitious roots (ARs) in lotus, which does not have a well-developed principal root, is an important part of growth and development. It would be very useful to control ARs formation for lotus production and breeding.
