Unlocking medicinal potential: Comparative transcriptome profiling of Aegle marmelos fruit and leaf tissues reveals key functional pathways

The study aims to provide a comprehensive comparative transcriptome analysis of Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa, focusing on its fruit and leaf tissues, with the goal of expanding genomic knowledge and identifying tissue-specific gene expression related to its therapeutic properties. High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to generate transcriptomic data from both fruit (47 million clean reads) and leaf (34 million clean reads) tissues of A. marmelos. The resulting sequences were assembled into 61860 unigenes, with 83 % and 89 % of the fruit and leaf-derived transcripts, respectively, mapping to the de novo assembly. Gene Ontology (GO) annotations were performed to categorize the molecular functions of the identified genes. The analysis revealed distinct tissue-specific expression profiles, with 14578 genes exclusive to the leaf and 11086 exclusive to the fruit. The predominant molecular functions were associated with binding, catalytic activity and transporter processes. The data demonstrated significant differences in gene expression between the two tissues, highlighting their divergent roles in the plant’s metabolic and therapeutic functions. This study provides the first in-depth genomic resources for A. marmelos, enhancing the understanding of its biological and pharmacological potential. The identification of tissue-specific genes offers insights into the molecular mechanisms behind its therapeutic properties, supporting further investigation into its biosynthetic pathways. RNA sequencing emerges as a critical tool for exploring neglected horticultural species, paving the way for targeted research and the discovery of novel bioactive compounds.