Plants Of Clone Research Articles

Plant sex effects on insect herbivores and biological control in a Short Rotation Coppice willow

In the wild, plant sex can affect plant-herbivore interactions and higher trophic levels, including natural enemies of the herbivores. However, the possibility of manipulating plant sex to improve biological control and reduce herbivory in domesticated dioecious crops remains unexplored. The dioecious bioenergy crop, Salix viminalis, is often planted in monoclonal, and thus monosexual, fields. We investigated whether using plant clones of either sex, or mixing plants of both sexes, reduced the performance and abundance of the herbivorous pest insect Phratora vulgatissima and its main natural enemy, Anthocoris nemorum, and whether predation was affected. The herbivore laid more eggs, and the predator survived longer, on female plants in the lab. However, these effects did not translate into differences in predation rates in laboratory experiments or differential insect abundances on plants of either sex or plantation sex composition in the field. Plant genotype did have a significant effect on insect abundances, but this was due to plant traits other than sex. The results indicate that manipulating plant sex will not lead to improved biological control or reduced insect herbivory in S. viminalis energy forestry, but suggest that a focus on plant genotypic differences offers promise for improving management practices.

Digital tools drive crop deals

Advances in software and data tools are prompting several deals along the agriculture supply chain. Dow AgroSciences has expanded its collaboration with the synthetic biology software start-up TeselaGen and will use TeselaGen’s technology to power industrial-scale plant cloning. Cargill and other venture capital investors have put a total of $30 million in Descartes Labs, a manager of satellite data for forecasting crop yields and analyzing supply chains. And Bayer will donate plant data from 70 countries to the Swedish nonprofit Quantified Planet, which will make them available to scientists researching biodiversity and climate change.

A New Approach for Olive (Arbequina cv.) Micropropagation: Effect of Dikegulac, Light and Carbon Source

Micro-propagation of olive provides the possibility of producing clones of native plants with appropriate attributes and mass reproduction in short period of time, compared to conventional methods. Apical dominance in olive explants limits the growth of lateral branches in vitro. The effect of Woody Plant Medium (WPM), Olive Medium (OM) and Murashig and Skoog (MS) with carbohydrate source (mannitol and sucrose), was investigated for in vitro shoot proliferation of olive. Different concentrations of sodium dikegulac (0.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 mg L-1) along with 3 mg L-1 zeatin and 0.5 mg L-1 BAP and two light qualities (red and white) were used to overcome apical dominance. Effects of different IBA concentrations on the in vitro root induction were also investigated. More than 74% of explants rooted when IBA was used at 2 mg L-1. OM was the most effective medium, resulting in better and morphologically superior microshoots. Mannitol showed a positive effect on shoot proliferation. Using sodium dikegulac at 5 mg L-1 under white light significantly stimulated axillary bud growth. In the corresponding concentrations of sodium dikegulac, red light had a significant effect on longitudinal growth compared to the white light.

Propagação vegetativa do cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L.) por miniestacas

A introdução de métodos que permitem a clonagem do cafeeiro pode ser útil em programas de melhoramento genético e até mesmo para a produção comercial de mudas. Entre os métodos de propagação vegetativa, a estaquia tem possibilitado melhores resultados, no entanto, um dos entraves para a produção em escala comercial é a quantidade reduzida de ramos ortotrópicos produzidos pela planta matriz. Uma alternativa seria a utilização de miniestaquia, a qual é amplamente usada na produção de mudas de eucalipto. Objetivou-se com este trabalho estudar o emprego da técnica de miniestaquia na formação de mudas clonais de Coffea arabica L. em diferentes volumes de tubetes. Foram avaliados cinco tipos de miniestacas oriundas de diferentes porções do ramo ortotrópico (apical, semiapical, intermediária, semibasal e basal) e dois volumes de tubete (50 e 120 cm³). O experimento foi implantado em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado disposto em um esquema fatorial 5 x 2, com quatro repetições. Foram observadas diferenças apenas entre os tipos de miniestacas oriundas das diferentes porções dos ramos ortotrópicos. As miniestacas das porções semiapical, intermediárias e semibasal dos ramos ortotrópicos promovem melhor crescimento das mudas clonais de cafeeiros, independentemente do volume do tubete utilizado.

An assessment of potential of hybrid poplar for planting in the Virginia Piedmont

Poplar species grow well across the temperate zone, but hybrid varieties have not previously been evaluated for planting in the Virginia Piedmont region. The top 12 clones in height growth and rust resistance from a screening trial involving 98 hybrid poplar varieties of three taxa (Populus deltoides × P. maximowiczii, DxM; P. deltoides × P. nigra, DxN; P. deltoides × P. trichocarpa, DxT) were selected for planting in replicated yield trials at two locations in the Virginia Piedmont. Results through the first four growing seasons showed that the DxM taxon had the most rapid height development. It was, however, the taxon most affected by a late spring frost at the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest site and by Septoria stem canker at the Reynolds Homestead site. Analysis of variance of clonal and location effects showed highly significant differences among replicates within location and among clones within taxon. Among seven clones within the DxM taxon, pairwise comparison tests of height growth identified two groups: a group of four better clones that were significantly different (p = 0.05) from a second group of three. These early results suggest that multi-selection criteria, including growth, disease and frost resistance, are important when developing hybrid poplar clones for planting in the Piedmont region.

Productivity in simulated drought and post-drought recovery of eight ryegrass cultivars and a tall fescue cultivar with and without Epichloë endophyte

Many ryegrass cultivars are available on the market, but little research information exists on their comparative drought tolerance or the role of their commercially associated Epichloë endophytes in drought tolerance. Cloned plants of seven perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars (Grasslands Commando, Ceres One50, Banquet II, Alto, Bealey, Trojan and Avalon) and an unreleased elite line (URL) and one Mediterranean tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cultivar (Grasslands Flecha), in all cases both endophyte-free (E–) and -infected (E+) plants, were subjected to a cycle of summer drought and rehydration from December 2012 to May 2013. Other clones of the same plants were irrigated. Insecticide was used to protect plants from insect attack. We report data for shoot dry matter (DM), tiller survival rate (TSR) and reproductive development assessed approximately monthly during the experiment. In the second month of drought, only Banquet II and Grasslands Flecha showed no significant shoot DM reduction under water deficit. After 3 months of drought, shoot DM was reduced by 43% (Flecha) to 85% (URL) compared with irrigated plants. For Banquet II, Avalon and Grasslands Flecha, TSR was not significantly reduced by water deficit. During rehydration, growth of previously non-irrigated plants typically exceeded growth of irrigated clones across all cultivars. Banquet II and Grasslands Flecha were drought-tolerant in the sense that they showed a lower percentage yield reduction under drought than other cultivars tested; this was in part because they were not among the highest yielding under irrigation. Irrespective of irrigation treatment, the shoot DM of E+ plants of ryegrasses URL (with AR37 endophyte) and One50 (with AR1 endophyte) was reduced by almost 50% relative to their E– counterparts in each harvest from December to May, whereas the other six ryegrass varieties generally showed a small trend towards reduced shoot DM as E+ plants. This indicates that some novel cultivar–endophyte associations can incur a yield disadvantage compared with E– plants when protected from insect pressure.

Foxtail milletWRKYgenes and drought stress

SUMMARYFoxtail millet (Setaria italica(L.) P. Beauv.) is a naturally stress-tolerant plant, a major reserve crop and a model for panicoid grasses. The recent completion of theS. italicagenome facilitates identification and characterization of WRKY transcription factor family proteins that are important regulators of major plant processes, including growth, development and stress response. The present study identified 103 WRKY transcription factor-encoding genes in theS. italicagenome. The genes were namedSiWRKY1–SiWRKY103 according to their order on the chromosomes. A comprehensive expression analysis ofSiWRKYgenes among four different tissues was performed using publicly available RNA sequencing data. Eighty-fourSiWRKYgenes were more highly expressed in root tissue than in other tissues and nine genes were only expressed in roots. Additionally, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to comprehensively analyse the expression of allSiWRKYgenes in response to dehydration. Results indicated that mostSiWRKYgenes (over 0.8) were up-regulated by drought stress. In conclusion, genome-wide identification and expression profiling ofSiWRKYgenes provided a set of candidates for cloning and functional analyses in plants’ response to drought stress.

Defoliation of common ragweed by Ophraella communa beetle does not affect pollen allergenicity in controlled conditions

Ragweed allergy is one of the primary causes of seasonal allergies in Europe and its prevalence is expected to rise. The leaf beetle Ophraella communa, recently and accidentally established in N-Italy and S-Switzerland, represents a promising approach to control ragweed, but negative side effects should be excluded before its use. Since biotic and abiotic stresses are known to influence the allergenicity of pollen, we set out to assess the effect of sub-lethal defoliation by O. communa on the quantity and quality of ragweed pollen. Seventeen sister pairs (including six clones) of ragweed plants were grown in controlled conditions. One of each pair was exposed to O. communa as soon as the plant started to produce reproductive structures. After 10 weeks of exposure, plant traits were measured as a proxy for pollen quantity. Pollen quality was assessed by measuring its viability and allergenicity. Generally, plants produced very few male flowers and little amount of pollen. Damage by the beetle was severe with most of the leaf tissue removed, but no treatment effect was found on any of the quantitative and qualitative traits assessed. In conclusion, O. communa did not increase the amount or allergenicity of ragweed pollen grains in our experimental conditions.

Micropropagation of transgenic lettuce containing HBsAg as a method of mass-scale production of standardised plant material for biofarming purposes

Key messageMicropropagation protocol of transgenic lettuce bearing S-, M- and L-HBsAg was developed for increased production of uniformised material for oral vaccine preparation.Effective manufacturing of plant-based biopharmaceuticals, including oral vaccines, depends on sufficient content of a protein of interest in the initial material and its efficient conversion into an administrable formulation. However, stable production of plants with a uniformised antigen content is equally important for reproducible processing. This can be provided by micropropagation techniques. Here, we present a protocol for micropropagation of transgenic lettuce lines bearing HBV surface antigens: S-, M- and L-HBsAg. These were multiplied through axillary buds to avoid the risk of somaclonal variation. Micropropagation effectiveness reached 3.5–5.7 per passage, which implies potential production of up to 6600 plant clones within a maximum 5 months. Multiplication and rooting rates were statistically homogenous for most transgenic and control plants. For most lines, more than 90 % of clones obtained via in vitro micropropagation had HBsAg content as high as reference plants directly developed from seeds. Clones were also several times more uniform in HBsAg expression. Variation coefficients of HBsAg content did not exceed 10 % for approximately 40–85 % of clones, or reached a maximum 20 % for 90 % of all clones. Tissue culture did not affect total and leaf biomass yields. Seed production for clones was decreased insignificantly and did not impact progeny condition. Micropropagation facilitates a substantial increase in the production of lettuce plants with high and considerably equalised HBsAg contents. This, together with the previously reported optimisation of plant tissue processing and its long-term stability, constitutes a successive step in manufacturing of a standardised anti-HBV oral vaccine of reliable efficacy.

The controlled cultivation of Cannabis sativa at VitaPlant

Cannabis sativa (Cannabis) belongs -behind alcoholto the world's most commonly used drugs. On the other hand positive effects in the therapeutic use of cannabis preparations were recorded in the last few years such as treatment of anorexia due to loss of appetite in HIV, for the relief of nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, in the treatment of various pain disorders as well as for the reduction of symptoms associated with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. The law in Switzerland bans the cultivation and consumption as well as the trade of cannabis with a total content of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) of over 1 %. Cannabis with THC levels above this level are considered as narcotics and the use is subject to a specific authorization requirement. VitaPlant has an operating license from the canton of Thurgau and is required to apply for a special exemption from the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) for every third party production. Research on cannabis has a long tradition at VitaPlant and several clones have been developed with specific active ingredients over the years. A main focus in the development of Cannabis at VitaPlant is the two cannabinoids: Δ9-THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). Currently VitaPlant is working on several projects for Swiss companies with respect to the production of cannabis in various grades. It is primarily concerned with the composition of the cannabinoids and the ratio of THC and CBD, but also with various kinds of harvesting. Two different forms of harvesting are used in the preparation of the drug: flowering branches (i.e. herba) or as pure flower (flos). In all cases the female flower is the main product. Depending on the harvested part the amount of THC and CBD differs considerably (Tab. 1). Hoewever, the relation between THC and THC-A or CBD and CBD-A is not stable. The time of harvesting and the maturity of flowers as well as the drying and processing of the raw material have an effect on the amount of both compounds. Tab. 1 Content of THC and CBD in two selected clones depending on the harvested parts of the plant Clones Kind of harvest CBD CBD-A Total CBD THC THC-A Total THC [%] THC typ CAN 9#4 flos 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 7.4 9.0 CAN 9#4 herba 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 6.1 7.0 CBD typ CAN 11#3 Flos 0.3 12.8 13.2 0.0 0.4 0.4 CAN 11#3 herba 0.3 5.0 5.3 0.0 0.1 0.1

Plant regeneration through indirect organogenesis and genetic transformation of Eucalyptus polybractea R.T. Baker

Eucalyptus polybractea (blue mallee) is the most widely harvested species in Australia for the production of pharmaceutical grade eucalyptus oil. Its use for both oil and biomass production is set to expand because blue mallee grows vigorously on semi-arid land where agricultural crop production is unsustainable. One of the most important tools for improvement of blue mallee, and for dissection of its unique traits, is an efficient method of indirect organogenesis. Our aim was to develop such a method, which is efficient for all genotypes and applicable to adult-derived explants. We also aimed to test whether genetically modified plants could be produced using this protocol. In vitro cultures were developed from three field-grown adult clones and it was found that over 95% of the resultant leaf explants initiated callus in a medium supplemented with thidiazuron and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid. The effect of the cytokinins, 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and N6-(2-isopentenyl) adenine (2iP) on plant regeneration from the initiated callus was compared. Ninety percent of callus from all three clones regenerated shoots in a medium supplemented with BA, whereas only one clone regenerated shoots at high efficiency (93%) with 2iP. Roots were successfully developed on regenerated shoots with high efficiency (>60%) via exposure to indole-3-butyric acid, and hardened plants were successfully established in soil. Leaf explants from one clone were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA containing genes for hygromycin phosphotransferase (Hpt) resistance and green fluorescent protein (GFP), both constitutively expressed using the CaMV35S promoter. Transformants showed GFP fluorescence in calli and plantlet leaves and were successfully rooted and hardened into plants. This work will enable large scale cloning of adult blue mallee plants and, after optimization of the transformation protocol, provide an important platform for further research on the biosynthesis of eucalyptus oils with the potential to dramatically improve blue mallee as a crop.

Cloning: a reference handbook

This book provides a detailed introduction to the cloning of both plants and animals and discusses the important social, ethical, political, technical, and other issues related to the practice. * Offers an informed perspective on cloning and its potential applications in everyday life and elsewhere * Includes profiles of key individuals and organizations related to the field of cloning, a Perspectives chapter, a chronology of important events in the history of cloning, and a glossary of key terms that strengthen the reader's undersatanding of the topic * Supplies the necessary historical background and context for readers to understand why cloning of both plants and animals is of great importance-and why cloning technology is even more critical when it involves human beings

Influence of biological control agents Helicoverpa armigera Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (HaNPV) on intensity of the attack twig caterpillar (Ectropis bhurmitra Wlk) and yield of tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) clone GMB 7

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of Helicoverpa armigera Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (HaNPV) on attack intensity of twig caterpillar (Ectropis bhurmitra Wlk) and the yield of clone Gambung 7 tea plant. The research was conducted at the Research Institute for Tea and Cinchona, Gambung, Bandung, from May 2011 till June 2011. A randomized block design was used with five treatments and replicated four replications. Application of five controls method for the twig caterpillar were performed. HaNPV at  4 x 106 PIB/mI, and 4 x 104 PIB/ml, Bacillus turingiensis (Thuricide) 1 g/L, Spinosad (Tracer 120 SC) 0,5 ml/L, and chemical insecticides (Electric 500 EC) 0,5 ml/L. The results indicated that HaNPV at both the density gave the same effect compare to other insecticides tested on the attack intensity of twig caterpillar as well as yield of tea plant clone Gambung 7.

Flood induced phenotypic plasticity in amphibious genus Elatine (Elatinaceae).

Vegetative characters are widely used in the taxonomy of the amphibious genus Elatine L. However, these usually show great variation not just between species but between their aquatic and terrestrial forms. In the present study we examine the variation of seed and vegetative characters in nine Elatine species (E. brachysperma, E. californica, E. gussonei, E. hexandra, E. hungarica, E. hydropiper, E. macropoda, E. orthosperma and E. triandra) to reveal the extension of plasticity induced by the amphibious environment, and to test character reliability for species identification. Cultivated plant clones were kept under controlled conditions exposed to either aquatic or terrestrial environmental conditions. Six vegetative characters (length of stem, length of internodium, length of lamina, width of lamina, length of petioles, length of pedicel) and four seed characters (curvature, number of pits / lateral row, 1st and 2nd dimension) were measured on 50 fruiting stems of the aquatic and on 50 stems of the terrestrial form of the same clone. MDA, NPMANOVA Random Forest classification and cluster analysis were used to unravel the morphological differences between aquatic and terrestrial forms. The results of MDA cross-validated and Random Forest classification clearly indicated that only seed traits are stable within species (i.e., different forms of the same species keep similar morphology). Consequently, only seed morphology is valuable for taxonomic purposes since vegetative traits are highly influenced by environmental factors.

Field performance of vegetative form traits of neopolyploids produced by in vitro colchicine treatment in Pyrus communis

The induction of polyploidy to improve agronomically and economically useful characters is a process commonly used in crop plants. Neopolyploids were obtained from the diploid pear cultivar ‘Fertility’ by in vitro colchicine treatment. Different clones of polyploids were rooted to be transferred to the greenhouse and then to the net house, a survey orchard was established. The morphological characteristics and the performance of 3 tetraploid clones, 2 triploid clones, 1 mixploid clone and a diploid control were investigated under greenhouse and field conditions. Results revealed that plants of different neopolyploids showed markedly different phenotypic traits. Compared to the diploid control, three out of four polyploid clones plants had significantly thicker leaves and a shorter petiole length. The significance of the difference in leaf index (ratio of leaf lamina length to leaf lamina width) between diploid and polyploids depended on the individual clone of the neopolyploid plants. In the greenhouse and the field, the triploid clone ‘3x−1’ and the tetraploid clones ‘4x−1’ and ‘4x−2’ had significantly decreased leaf index, and the triploid ‘3x−2’ had significantly increased leaf index. However, the tetraploid clone ‘4x−4’ and the mixploid clone ‘Mix−1” showed phenotypic abnormalities, such as stunted growth and leaf malformation. The ex vivo grafted shoots of the pentaploid ‘5x−1’ and ‘5x−2’ were very difficult to maintain or had a very short survival period. The grafted plants of triploid ‘3x−2’ showed a compact habit. Most neopolyploid plants had significantly shorter internodes and all had reduced plant height compared to the height of their parent diploid plants.

Insect mating signal and mate preference phenotypes covary among host plant genotypes.

Sexual selection acting on small initial differences in mating signals and mate preferences can enhance signal-preference codivergence and reproductive isolation during speciation. However, the origin of initial differences in sexual traits remains unclear. We asked whether biotic environments, a source of variation in sexual traits, may provide a general solution to this problem. Specifically, we asked whether genetic variation in biotic environments provided by host plants can result in signal-preference phenotypic covariance in a host-specific, plant-feeding insect. We used a member of the Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) to assess patterns of variation in male mating signals and female mate preferences induced by genetic variation in host plants. We employed a novel implementation of a quantitative genetics method, rearing field-collected treehoppers on a sample of naturally occurring replicated host plant clone lines. We found remarkably high signal-preference covariance among host plant genotypes. Thus, genetic variation in biotic environments influences the sexual phenotypes of organisms living on those environments in a way that promotes assortative mating among environments. This consequence arises from conditions likely to be common in nature (phenotypic plasticity and variation in biotic environments). It therefore offers a general answer to how divergent sexual selection may begin.

Ecological differentiation and local adaptation in two sister species of Neotropical Costus (Costaceae).

Reciprocal transplant experiments have often provided evidence of local adaptation in temperate plants, but few such studies have been conducted in the tropics. To enhance our knowledge of local adaptation in tropical plants, we studied natural populations of two recently diverged Neotropical plant species, Costus allenii and C. villosissimus, in central Panama. We found that these species display a parapatric distribution that reflects local environmental differences on a fine geographic scale: C. allenii is found along ravines in the understory of primary forest, while C. villosissimus is found along forest edges. Light availability was lower in C. allenii habitats, while precipitation and soil moisture were lower in C. villosissimus habitats. We carried out reciprocal transplant experiments with seeds and clones of mature plants to test the hypothesis that the parapatric distribution of these species is due to divergent adaptation to their local habitats. We found strong evidence of local adaptation, i.e., when grown in their "home" sites, each species outperformed the species from an "away" site. Our finding that C. allenii and C. villosissimus are mainly isolated by their microhabitats provides a first step toward understanding the mechanisms of adaptation and speciation in the tropics.

Optimalisasi PCR-RAPD dan Identifikasi Morfologi Tanaman Kumis Kucing di Provinsi Bengkulu

A research was conducted with objectives to look for the best DNA extraction methods for whisker plants, to optimize random amplified polymorphism DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) by testing annealing temperatures and screening random primers, and to identify morphology of these plants in Bengkulu Province. DNA’s extraction followed the protocols of Geneaid and Epicentre kits were conducted for 11 clones of whisker plants. Optimalization of RAPD-PCR was tested by six levels of annealing temperatures and 16 random primers. Morphological identifications were done in 4 locations in Bengkulu Province, i.e. Bengkulu City, Kuro Tidur (North Bengkulu), Kepahiang, dan Air Dingin (Curup) Results showed that Geneaid demostrated better results as compared with Epicentre. RAPD-PCR performed optimum at 34.8 oC of annealing temperature; whereas, three random primers showed optimal amplification were I-01, N-01 and P-01, which nucleotide sequences were ACCTGGACAC, CTCACGTTGG, and GTAGCACTCC, respectively. Meanhile, no morphological variatons was found among the the samples, except that growths of whisker plants were taller and bigger in Kepahyang and Air Dingin Curup than in others.

AN AFLP-MARKER STUDY OF THE VITIS VINIFERA L. CULTIVAR 'WHITE RIESLING' COMPRISING 86 CLONES TO INVESTIGATE THE STABILITY OF CLONES

The cultivar ?White Riesling? is like any other cultivar of Vitis vinifera L. commercially asexually propagated. Therefore, any clone is asexually derived from a single individual. Genetic changes can only occur through mutations. The aim of this study was to analyse the number of mutations among 86 different ?White Riesling? clones and to characterise the kinds of mutations observed. Single event mutations, which only appear once in one clone, stay for the dynamic grapevine genome. Mutations, which appear frequently in different clones, imply that the mutations could be loci-specific. To examine this subject 86 ?Riesling? clones were analysed with ten amplified fragments length polymorphism (AFLP) primer combina¬tions. Of the 305 marker bands analysed 135 bands were polymorphic. 38.5% of the polymorphic marker bands showed single event mutations and 17% were specific-loci mutations. This indicates that the grapevine genome is dynamic and not stable. Since genetic variability is important for plant breeders but clone stability necessary for grape growers and winemakers the knowledge of genome stability is essential and could be an indication of how to deal with dynamic clones during the breeding proce¬dures, like clonal selection, and maintenance breeding.

Development of a 44 K custom oligo microarray using 454 pyrosequencing data for large-scale gene expression analysis of Camellia sinensis

Tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is an economically important woody crop with a currently unsequenced full genome, which limits the ability to perform functional genome studies. Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies, such as RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), provide a powerful approach for quantifying the transcriptome. In this study, RNA-seq was conducted using the Roche 454 platform in tea new shoots, generating 612,014 high-quality reads with an average sequence length of 343 base pairs. After the de novo assembly, 60,479 unigenes consisting of 32,384 contigs and 28,095 singletons were detected, including 10,141 novel genes which showed no homology with reported Camellia sinensis sequences. To investigate the large-scale gene expression in different tea plant clones, a custom oligonucleotide microarray was developed using sequences from the RNA-seq study to design the probes because a commercial array is unavailable for the tea plant. A 4×44K 60-mer oligo microarray consisting of 43,833 probes covering 42,440 unigene sequences and 1417 positive and negative Agilent control sequences was designed and used to analyze the expression profiles of four tea plant clones. The microarray data demonstrated that the dataset can be used for typical analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA) and differential gene expression analysis. The PCA showed that the four genotypes were differentiated from each other with good biological repeatability. To investigate the mechanism of higher amino acid content in ‘Zhongcha 108’, ‘Zhonghuang 1’ and ‘Zhonghuang 2’, genes involved in amino acid metabolism were analyzed and significant differential expression of a number of these genes was seen in the three cultivars compared to ‘Longjing 43’. Twenty differentially expressed genes were validated by qRT-PCR, and the qRT-PCR results displayed a similar tendency in variation as the microarray results. We have developed a tea plant oligonucleotide microarray that can be used to analyze gene expression in the shoots of different tea plant clones without prior sequence knowledge. The combination of RNA-seq and custom microarray design was shown to be a powerful method for identifying differential expression genes among different tea cultivars.