Allelic differences in expression are important genetic factors contributing to quantitative trait variation in various organisms. However, the extent of genome-wide allele-specific expression by different modes of gene regulation has not been well characterized in plants. In this study we developed a new methodology for allele-specific expression analysis by applying Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing (MPSS), an open ended and sequencing based mRNA profiling technology. This methodology enabled a genome-wide evaluation of cis- and trans-effects on allelic expression in six meristem stages of the maize hybrid. Summarization of data from nearly 400 pairs of MPSS allelic signature tags showed that 60% of the genes in the hybrid meristems exhibited differential allelic expression. Because both alleles are subjected to the same trans-acting factors in the hybrid, the data suggest the abundance of cis-regulatory differences in the genome. Comparing the same allele expressed in the hybrid versus its inbred parents showed that 40% of the genes were differentially expressed, suggesting different trans-acting effects present in different genotypes. Such trans-acting effects may result in gene expression in the hybrid different from allelic additive expression. With this approach we quantified gene expression in the hybrid relative to its inbred parents at the allele-specific level. As compared to measuring total transcript levels, this study provides a new level of understanding of different modes of gene regulation in the hybrid and the molecular basis of heterosis.

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BackgroundAlfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the primary forage legume crop species in the United States and plays essential economic and ecological roles in agricultural systems across the country. Modern alfalfa is the result of hybridization between tetraploid M. sativa ssp. sativa and M. sativa ssp. falcata. Due to its large and complex genome, there are few genomic resources available for alfalfa improvement.ResultsA de novo transcriptome assembly from two alfalfa subspecies, M. sativa ssp. sativa (B47) and M. sativa ssp. falcata (F56) was developed using Illumina RNA-seq technology. Transcripts from roots, nitrogen-fixing root nodules, leaves, flowers, elongating stem internodes, and post-elongation stem internodes were assembled into the Medicago sativa Gene Index 1.2 (MSGI 1.2) representing 112,626 unique transcript sequences. Nodule-specific and transcripts involved in cell wall biosynthesis were identified. Statistical analyses identified 20,447 transcripts differentially expressed between the two subspecies. Pair-wise comparisons of each tissue combination identified 58,932 sequences differentially expressed in B47 and 69,143 sequences differentially expressed in F56. Comparing transcript abundance in floral tissues of B47 and F56 identified expression differences in sequences involved in anthocyanin and carotenoid synthesis, which determine flower pigmentation. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) unique to each M. sativa subspecies (110,241) were identified.ConclusionsThe Medicago sativa Gene Index 1.2 increases the expressed sequence data available for alfalfa by ninefold and can be expanded as additional experiments are performed. The MSGI 1.2 transcriptome sequences, annotations, expression profiles, and SNPs were assembled into the Alfalfa Gene Index and Expression Database (AGED) at http://plantgrn.noble.org/AGED/, a publicly available genomic resource for alfalfa improvement and legume research.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1718-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.