Fig. 3

LncRNA expression level and pattern. A, B Expression heatmaps of 9,410 mRNAs and 2,601 lncRNAs, respectively. Z-score normalization was applied to FPKM values across stages. C Boxplot of mRNA (bluish green) and lncRNA (red) expression patterns across developmental and infection stages. D Density plot of transcript stage specificity over six stages. τ (Tau) is used as a stage specificity index. The index varies from 0 (consistently expressed transcripts) to 1 (perfectly stage-specific transcripts). The Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test confirmed a significant difference in tau distribution between the two groups. *** p < 0.001