Transcriptome characteristics and MADS-box family transcription factors analysis of Acer griseum flowers

Acer griseum (Franch.) Pax bearing male and female (pseudo-hermaphroditic) flowers on the same individual is a well-known ornamental and endangered plant of China. However, because there is little genetic and sequencing data available, the molecular mechanisms underlying flower development and causes of endangerment in A. griseum are still unclear. In this study, we conducted de novo transcriptome assembly and comparative analysis of female and male flowers at the different developmental stages of A. griseum for the first time. The 163,122,870 qualified reads were acquired and assembled into 224,904 unigenes, of which 161,678 (71.89