Global Gene Expression Changes in Response to Bent Neck and Petal Blueing in Cut Roses ‘Freedom' and ‘Forever Young'

Rose bent neck and petal blueing are major problems that decrease cut rose postharvest quality, but the molecular mechanisms that occur during these processes are unknown. To begin to understand the changes, we compared gene expression patterns using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). The cDNA libraries of Rosa ‘Freedom’ and ‘Forever Young’ were synthesized from both healthy cut rose flowers and flowers that were at different stages of bent neck and petal blueing. The cDNA libraries of ‘Freedom’ healthy neck (DHN) and ‘Freedom’ bent neck stage 1 (DBN) were sequenced by Illumina® GAIIx sequencing platform. Contigs were assembled de novo from expression sequence tags of DHN and DBN and compared. Initial analysis showed an increased expression of cell wall degradation, abscission and stress related genes indicating that rose bent neck might be a combined effect of water stress and accelerated abscission of the peduncle.