Identification of candidate genes involved in wax deposition in Poa pratensis by RNA-seq

Background The cuticular wax plays important roles in plant resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Understanding the synthesis and secretion of cuticular waxes is necessary in utilizing cuticular waxes to improve crop productivity and plant ecological adaptation. Due to the lack of genomic resources, little genetic research on cuticular wax deposition has been focused on Poa pratensis, a perennial forage and turf grass species that is widely distributed under various habitats. In this study, we performed de novo transcriptome sequencing to explore differentially expressed genes between the leaf non-elongation zone (NEZm) and the emerged blade zone (EBZ) and to identify genes related to cuticular wax deposition.