Novel and mechanical stress-responsive MicroRNAs in Populus trichocarpa that are absent from Arabidopsis

Constitutive Expression of miR408 Improves Biomass and Seed Yield in Arabidopsis

miR408 is highly conserved among different plant species and targets transcripts encoding copper-binding proteins. The function of miR408 in reproductive development remains largely unclear despite it being known to play important roles during vegetative development in Arabidopsis. Here, we show that transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing MIR408 have altered morphology including significantly increased leaf area, petiole length, plant height, flower size, and silique length, resulting in enhanced biomass and seed yield. The increase in plant size was primarily due to cell expansion rather than cell proliferation, and was consistent with higher levels of myosin gene expression and gibberellic acid (GA) measured in transgenic plants. In addition, photosynthetic rate was significantly increased in the MIR408-overexpressing plants, as manifested by higher levels of chloroplastic copper content and plastocyanin (PC) expression. In contrast, overexpression of miR408-regulated targets, Plantacyanin and Laccase 13, resulted in reduced biomass production and seed yield. RNA-sequencing revealed that genes involved in primary metabolism and stress response were preferentially enriched in the genes upregulated in MIR408-overexpressing plants. These results indicate that miR408 plays an important role in regulating biomass and seed yield and that MIR408 may be a potential candidate gene involved in the domestication of agricultural crops.

Small RNA-Sequencing Links Physiological Changes and RdDM Process to Vegetative-to-Floral Transition in Apple

Transition from vegetative to floral buds is a critical physiological change during flower induction that determines fruit productivity. Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are pivotal regulators of plant growth and development. Although the key role of sRNAs in flowering regulation has been well-described in Arabidopsis and some other annual plants, their relevance to vegetative-to-floral transition (hereafter, referred to floral transition) in perennial woody trees remains under defined. Here, we performed Illumina sequencing of sRNA libraries prepared from vegetative and floral bud during flower induction of the apple trees. A large number of sRNAs exemplified by 33 previously annotated miRNAs and six novel members display significant differential expression (DE) patterns. Notably, most of these DE-miRNAs in floral transition displayed opposite expression changes in reported phase transition in apple trees. Bioinformatics analysis suggests most of the DE-miRNAs targeted transcripts involved in SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) gene regulation, stress responses, and auxin and gibberellin (GA) pathways, with further suggestion that there is an inherent link between physiological stress response and metabolism reprogramming during floral transition. We also observed significant changes in 24 nucleotide (nt) sRNAs that are hallmarks for RNA-dependent DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway, suggestive of the correlation between epigenetic modifications and the floral transition. The study not only provides new insight into our understanding of fundamental mechanism of poorly studied floral transition in apple and other woody plants, but also presents important sRNA resource for future in-depth research in the apple flowering physiology.

Allelic Interactions among Pto-MIR475b and Its Four Target Genes Potentially Affect Growth and Wood Properties in Populus

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in plant growth and development, but few studies have illuminated the allelic interactions among miRNAs and their targets in perennial plants. Here, we combined analysis of expression patterns and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based association studies to explore the interactions between Pto-MIR475b and its four target genes (Pto-PPR1, Pto-PPR2, Pto-PPR3, and Pto-PPR4) in 435 unrelated individuals of Populus tomentosa. Expression patterns showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.447 to -0.411, P < 0.01) between Pto-MIR475b and its four targets in eight tissues of P. tomentosa, suggesting that Pto-miR475b may negatively regulate the four targets. Single SNP-based association studies identified 93 significant associations (P < 0.01, Q < 0.1) representing associations of 80 unique SNPs in Pto-MIR475b and its four targets with nine traits, revealing their potential roles in tree growth and wood formation. Moreover, one common SNP in the precursor region significantly altered the secondary structure of the pre-Pto-miR475b and changed the expression level of Pto-MIR475b. Analysis of epistatic interactions identified 115 significant SNP-SNP associations (P < 0.01) representing 45 unique SNPs from Pto-MIR475b and its four targets for 10 traits, revealing that genetic interactions between Pto-MIR475b and its targets influence quantitative traits of perennial plants. Our study provided a feasible strategy to study population genetics in forest trees and enhanced our understanding of miRNAs by dissecting the allelic interactions between this miRNA and its targets in P. tomentosa.

CO2-Responsive polymer materials

This paper reviews the chemical fundamentals of CO₂-responsive polymers as well as the latest reported “smart” material systems switched by CO₂.

Differential expression of microRNAs and potential targets under drought stress in barley

Drought is a crucial environmental constraint limiting crop production in many parts of the world. microRNA (miRNA) based gene regulation has been shown to act in several pathways, including crop response to drought stress. Sequence based profiling and computational analysis have revealed hundreds of miRNAs and their potential targets in different plant species under various stress conditions, but few have been biologically verified. In this study, 11 candidate miRNAs were tested for their expression profiles in barley. Differences in accumulation of only four miRNAs (Ath-miR169b, Osa-miR1432, Hv-miRx5 and Hv-miR166b/c) were observed between drought-treated and well-watered barley in four genotypes. miRNA targets were predicted using degradome analysis of two, different genotypes, and genotype-specific target cleavage was observed. Inverse correlation of mature miRNA accumulation with miRNA target transcripts was also genotype dependent under drought treatment. Drought-responsive miRNAs accumulated predominantly in mesophyll tissues. Our results demonstrate genotype-specific miRNA regulation under drought stress and evidence for their role in mediating expression of target genes for abiotic stress response in barley.

Site-Dependent Differences in DNA Methylation and Their Impact on Plant Establishment and Phosphorus Nutrition in Populus trichocarpa

The propagation via clonal stem cuttings is a frequent practice in tree plantations. Despite their clonal origin, the trees establish differently according to weather, temperature and nutrient availability, as well as the presence of various stresses. Here, clonal Populus trichocarpa (cv. Muhle Larson) cuttings from different sites were transferred into a common, fully nutrient supplied environment. Despite identical underlying genetics, stem cuttings derived from sites with lower phosphorus availability established worse, independent of phosphorus (P) level after transplantation. Differential growth of material from the sites was reflected in differences in the whole genome DNA methylome. Methylation differences were sequence context-dependent, but differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were apparently unrelated to P nutrition genes. Despite the undisputed negative general correlation of DNA promoter methylation with gene repression, only few of the top-ranked DMRs resulted in differential gene expression in roots or shoots. However, differential methylation was associated with site-dependent, different total amounts of microRNAs (miRNAs), with few miRNAs sequences directly targeted by differential methylation. Interestingly, in roots and shoots, the miRNA amount was dependent on the previous habitat and changed in roots in a habitat-dependent way under phosphate starvation conditions. Differentially methylated miRNAs, together with their target genes, showed P-dependent expression profiles, indicating miRNA expression differences as a P-related epigenetic modification in poplar. Together with differences in DNA methylation, such epigenetic mechanisms may explain habitat or seasonal memory in perennials and site-dependent growth performances.

MicroRNAs modulate adaption to multiple abiotic stresses in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

MicroRNAs play an important role in abiotic stress responses in higher plants and animals, but their role in stress adaptation in algae remains unknown. In this study, the expression of identified and putative miRNAs in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction; some of the miRNAs (Cre-miR906-3p) were up-regulated, whereas others (Cre-miR910) were down-regulated when the species was subjected to multiple abiotic stresses. With degradome sequencing data, we also identified ATP4 (the d-subunit of ATP synthase) and NCR2 (NADPH: cytochrome P450 reductase) as one of the several targets of Cre-miR906-3p and Cre-miR910, respectively. Q-PCR data indicated that ATP4, which was expressed inversely in relation to Cre-miR906-3p under stress conditions. Overexpressing of Cre-miR906-3p enhanced resistance to multiple stresses; conversely, overexpressing of ATP4 produced the opposite effect. These data of Q-PCR, degradome sequencing and adaptation of overexpressing lines indicated that Cre-miR906-3p and its target ATP4 were a part of the same pathway for stress adaptation. We found that Cre-miR910 and its target NCR2 were also a part of this pathway. Overexpressing of Cre-miR910 decreased, whereas that of NCR2 increased the adaption to multiple stresses. Our findings suggest that the two classes of miRNAs synergistically mediate stress adaptation in algae.

Knockdown of strigolactone biosynthesis genes in Populus affects BRANCHED1 expression and shoot architecture

Plant architecture is modified by a regulatory system that controls axillary bud outgrowth. Key components in this system are strigolactones (SLs) and BRANCHED1, which inhibit bud outgrowth. Their role has been described in herbaceous model systems, including Arabidopsis, rice and pea. However, a role in woody perennial species, including the model tree poplar, has not been unequivocally proven. In this study, we tested a role for SLs in Populus × canescens by treatment with the synthetic SL GR24. We generated MORE AXILLARY BRANCHING4 (MAX4) knockdown lines to study the architectural phenotype of poplar SL biosynthesis mutants and the expression of SL-regulated genes. We show that GR24 is perceived by the model tree poplar. MAX4 knockdown lines exhibit typical SL deficiency symptoms. The observed changes in branching pattern, internode length and plant height can be rescued by grafting. We identified putative poplar BRANCHED1 and BRANCHED2 genes and provide evidence for a regulation of BRANCHED1 by SLs. Our results suggest a conservation of major regulatory mechanisms in bud outgrowth control in the model tree poplar. This may facilitate further research, pinpointing the role of SLs and BRANCHED1 in the complex regulation of bud outgrowth in trees.

Evaluation of the miRNA profiling and effectiveness of the propolis on B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the most frequent causes of death from cancer. Since the discovery of chemotherapeutic agents, ALL has become a model for improvement of survival. In parallel to this, serious side effects were observed and new natural therapeutic options has been discussed. One of these substances is called propolis which is a resinous substance gathered by honeybees. In the molecular era, miRNAs have been shown to play crucial roles in the development of many clinical conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Aydın propolis on 81 human miRNA activity in CCRF-SB leukemia cell line. Apoptotic effects of propolis on cell lines were also evaluated and apoptosis were found to be induced 1.5 fold in B-cell leukemia cells. The expression of 63 miRNAs (46 miRNAs were downregulated, 19 miRNAs were upregulated) in propolis treated leukemia cells have changed significantly (p<0.05). In conclusion propolis has changed expression of miRNAs which have epigenetic effects on leukemic cells. It is thought that it can be a promising agent for ALL treatment for future studies.

Genetic variations and miRNA-target interactions contribute to natural phenotypic variations in Populus

Variation in regulatory factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs), contributes to variation in quantitative and complex traits. However, in plants, variants in miRNAs and their target genes that contribute to natural phenotypic variation, and the underlying regulatory networks, remain poorly characterized. We investigated the associations and interactions of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNAs and their target genes with phenotypes in 435 individuals from a natural population of Populus. We used RNA-seq to identify 217 miRNAs differentially expressed in a tension wood system, and identified 1196 candidate target genes; degradome sequencing confirmed 60 of the target sites. In addition, 72 miRNA-target pairs showed significant co-expression. Gene ontology (GO) term analysis showed that most of the genes in the co-regulated pairs participate in biological regulation. Genome resequencing found 5383 common SNPs (frequency ≥ 0.05) in 139 miRNAs and 31 037 SNPs in 819 target genes. Single-SNP association analyses identified 232 significant associations between wood traits (P ≤ 0.05) and SNPs in 102 miRNAs and 1387 associations with 478 target genes. Among these, 102 miRNA-target pairs associated with the same traits. Multi-SNP associations found 102 epistatic pairs associated with traits. Furthermore, a reconstructed regulatory network contained 12 significantly co-expressed pairs, including eight miRNAs and nine targets associated with traits. Lastly, both expression and genetic association showed that miR156i, miR156j, miR396a and miR6445b were involved in the formation of tension wood. This study shows that variants in miRNAs and target genes contribute to natural phenotypic variation and annotated roles and interactions of miRNAs and their target genes by genetic association analysis.

Deep-sequence profiling of miRNAs and their target prediction in Monotropa hypopitys

Myco-heterotroph Monotropa hypopitys is a widely spread perennial herb used to study symbiotic interactions and physiological mechanisms underlying the development of non-photosynthetic plant. Here, we performed, for the first time, transcriptome-wide characterization of M. hypopitys miRNA profile using high throughput Illumina sequencing. As a result of small RNA library sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, we identified 55 members belonging to 40 families of known miRNAs and 17 putative novel miRNAs unique for M. hypopitys. Computational screening revealed 206 potential mRNA targets for known miRNAs and 31 potential mRNA targets for novel miRNAs. The predicted target genes were described in Gene Ontology terms and were found to be involved in a broad range of metabolic and regulatory pathways. The identification of novel M. hypopitys-specific miRNAs, some with few target genes and low abundances, suggests their recent evolutionary origin and participation in highly specialized regulatory mechanisms fundamental for non-photosynthetic biology of M. hypopitys. This global analysis of miRNAs and their potential targets in M. hypopitys provides a framework for further investigation of miRNA role in the evolution and establishment of non-photosynthetic myco-heterotrophs.

Identification of microRNAs and their targets in Paulownia fortunei plants free from phytoplasma pathogen after methyl methane sulfonate treatment

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play major roles in plant responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses by regulating gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Paulownia witches' broom (PaWB) disease caused by phytoplasmas reduces Paulownia production worldwide. In this study, we investigated the miRNA-mediated plant response to PaWB phytoplasma by Illumina sequencing and degradome analysis of Paulownia fortunei small RNAs (sRNAs). The sRNA and degradome libraries were constructed from healthy and diseased P. fortunei plants and the plants free from phytoplasma pathogen after 60 mg L(-1) methyl methane sulfonate treatment. A total of 96 P. fortunei-conserved miRNAs and 83 putative novel miRNAs were identified. Among them, 37 miRNAs (17 conserved, 20 novel) were found to be differentially expressed in response to PaWB phytoplasma infection. In addition, 114 target genes for 18 of the conserved miRNA families and 33 target genes for 15 of the novel miRNAs in P. fortunei were detected. The expression patterns of 14 of the PaWB phytoplasma-responsive miRNAs and 12 target genes were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments. A functional analysis of the miRNA targets indicated that these targeted genes may regulate transcription, stress response, nitrogen metabolism, and various other activities. Our results will help identify the potential roles of miRNAs involved in protecting P. fortunei from diseases.

Control of sulfate concentration by miR395-targeted APS genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Sulfur nutrition is crucial for plant growth and development, as well as crop yield and quality. Inorganic sulfate in the soil is the major sulfur source for plants. After uptake, sulfate is activated by ATP sulfurylase, and then gets assimilated into sulfur-containing metabolites. However, the mechanism of regulation of sulfate levels by ATP sulfurylase is unclear. Here, we investigated the control of sulfate levels by miR395-mediated regulation of APS1/3/4. Sulfate was over-accumulated in the shoots of miR395 over-expression plants in which the expression of the APS1, APS3, and APS4 genes was suppressed. Accordingly, reduced expression of miR395 caused a decline of sulfate concentration. In agreement with these results, over-expression of the APS1, APS3, and APS4 genes led to the reduction of sulfate levels. Differential expression of these three APS genes in response to sulfate starvation implied that they have different functions. Further investigation revealed that the regulation of sulfate levels mediated by miR395 depends on the repression of its APS targets. Unlike the APS1, APS3, and APS4 genes, which encode plastid-localized ATP sulfurylases, the APS2 gene encodes a cytosolic version of ATP sulfurylase. Genetic analysis indicated that APS2 has no significant effect on sulfate levels. Our data suggest that miR395-targeted APS genes are key regulators of sulfate concentration in leaves.

Cross-talk between freezing response and signaling for regulatory transcriptions of MIR475b and its targets by miR475b promoter in Populus suaveolens

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that play important roles in post-transcriptional regulation of their target genes, yet the transcriptional regulation of plant miRNAs by promoter is poorly understood. Here, we firstly clone pri-miR475b cDNA and its native promoter from P. suaveolens, and characterize Psu-MIR475b as class-II gene transcribed by RNA polymerase II. By 5′ deletion analysis of Psu-miR475b promoter in a series of promoter-GUS chimeric vectors, we functionally identify three positive regulatory regions and multiple cis-acting elements responsible for Psu-miR475b promoter activity in response to freezing stress and exogenous hormone treatment. Moreover, the Psu-miR475b promoter activity displays a tissue-specific manner, negatively regulated by freezing stress and positively by MeJA, SA or GA treatment. Importantly, we comparatively analyze the time-course transcriptional profiles of Psu-miR475b and its targets in Psu-miR475b over-expression transgenic plants controlled by Psu-miR475b-specific promoter or CaMV 35S constitutive promoter, and explore the regulatory mechanism of Psu-miR475b promoter controlling transcriptional expressions of Psu-MIR475b and its targets in response to freezing stress and exogenous hormone treatment. Our results reveal that Psu-miR475b promoter-mediated transcriptions of Psu-MIR475b and its targets in response to freezing stress may be involved in a cross-talk between freezing response and stress signaling process.

Unveiling the Micronome of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important class of endogenous non-coding single-stranded small RNAs (21-24 nt in length), which serve as post-transcriptional negative regulators of gene expression in plants. Despite the economic importance of Manihot esculenta Crantz (cassava) only 153 putative cassava miRNAs (from multiple germplasm) are available to date in miRBase (Version 21), and identification of a number of miRNAs from the cassava EST database have been limited to comparisons with Arabidopsis. In this study, mature sequences of all known plant miRNAs were used as a query for homologous searches against cassava EST and GSS databases, and additional identification of novel and conserved miRNAs were gleaned from next generation sequencing (NGS) of two cassava landraces (T200 from southern Africa and TME3 from West Africa) at three different stages post explant transplantation and acclimatization. EST and GSS derived data revealed 259 and 32 miRNAs in cassava, and one of the miRNA families (miR2118) from previous studies has not been reported in cassava. NGS data collectively displayed expression of 289 conserved miRNAs in leaf tissue, of which 230 had not been reported previously. Of the 289 conserved miRNAs identified in T200 and TME3, 208 were isomiRs. Thirty-nine novel cassava-specific miRNAs of low abundance, belonging to 29 families, were identified. Thirty-eight (98.6%) of the putative new miRNAs identified by NGS have not been previously reported in cassava. Several miRNA targets were identified in T200 and TME3, highlighting differential temporal miRNA expression between the two cassava landraces. This study contributes to the expanding knowledge base of the micronome of this important crop.

Association genetics in Populus reveals the interactions between Pto-miR160a and its target Pto-ARF16

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in various biological processes. However, the interactions between miRNAs and their targets are largely unknown in plants. As a powerful tool for identification of variation associated with traits, association genetics provides another strategy for exploration of interactions between miRNAs and their targets. Here, we conducted expression analysis and association mapping to evaluate the interaction between Pto-miR160a and its target Pto-ARF16 in Populus tomentosa. By examining the expression patterns of Pto-MIR160a and Pto-ARF16, we identified a significant, negative correlation between their expression levels, indicating that Pto-miR160a may affect the expression of Pto-ARF16. Among the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in this study, one common SNP in the pre-miRNA region of Pto-miR160a altered its predicted secondary structure while another common SNP in the predicted miRNA target site changed the binding affinity of Pto-miR160a. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis revealed low LD levels of Pto-MIR160a and Pto-ARF16, indicating that they are suitable for candidate gene-based association analysis. Single SNP-based association analysis identified 19 SNPs (false discovery rate Q < 0.05) in Pto-MIR160a and Pto-ARF16 associated with three phenotypic traits. Epistasis analysis further identified 36 SNP-SNP interactions between SNPs in Pto-MIR160a and SNPs in Pto-ARF16, reflecting the possible genetic interaction of Pto-miR160a and Pto-ARF16. Taking these results together, our study identified SNPs in Pto-MIR160a and Pto-ARF16 associated with tree growth and wood properties, providing SNPs with potential applications in marker-assisted breeding and evidence for the genetic interaction of Pto-miR160a and Pto-ARF16.

Identification of miRNAs Affecting the Establishment of Brassica Alboglabra Seedling

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important for plant development including seed formation, dormancy, and germination, as well as seedling establishment. The Brassica vegetable seedling establishment stage influences the development of high quality seedlings, but also affects the nutrient content of sprouts. Chinese kale (Brassica alboglabra) seedlings at different growth stages were used to construct two small-RNA (sRNA) libraries. We comprehensively analyzed the miRNAs in 2- and 9-day-old seedlings. An average of 11,722,490 clean reads were generated after removing low-quality reads and adapter contaminants. The results revealed that 37.65 and 26.69% of the sRNAs in 2- and 9-day-old seedlings, respectively, were 24 nt long. In total, 254 known mature miRNA sequences from 228 miRNA families and 343 novel miRNAs were identified. Of these miRNAs, 224 were differentially expressed between the two analyzed libraries. The most abundant miRNAs identified by sequence homology were miR156, miR167, and miR157, each with more than 100,000 sequenced reads. Compared with the expression levels in 2-day-old seedlings, MiR8154 and miR390 were the most up- and down-regulated miRNAs respectively in 9-day-old seedlings. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed-miRNA target genes affecting biological processes revealed that most genes were in the "regulation of transcription" category. Additionally, the expression patterns of some miRNAs and target genes were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We determined that development-associated miRNAs (e.g., bal-miR156/157/159/166/167/172/396), were highly-expressed during seedling-establishment stage, as were stress-related (bal-miR408) and metabolism-related (bal-miR826) miRNAs. Combined with the low level of targets SPL9 and AP2, it was concluded that miR156-SPL9 and miR172-AP modules play key roles during the B. alboglabra seedling establishment stage.

Identification and Characterization of Erysiphe necator-Responsive MicroRNAs in Chinese Wild Vitis pseudoreticulata by High-Throughput Sequencing

Grapevine powdery mildew is one of the most damaging fungal diseases. Therefore, a precise understanding of the grapevine disease resistance system becomes a subject of significant importance. Plant microRNAs(miRNAs) have been implicated to play regulatory roles in plant biotic stress responses. In this study, high-throughput sequencing and miRDeep-P were employed to identify miRNAs in Chinese wild Vitis pseudoreticulata leaves following inoculation with Erysiphe necator. Altogether, 126 previously identified microRNAs and 124 novel candidates of miRNA genes were detected. Among them, 43 conserved miRNAs belong to 20 families and 23 non-conserved but previously-known miRNAs belong to 15 families. Following E. necator inoculation, 119 miRNAs were down-regulated and 131 were up-regulated. Furthermore, the expression changes occurring in 32 miRNAs were significant. The expression patterns of some miRNAs were validated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. A total of 485 target genes were predicted and categorized by Gene Ontology (GO). In addition, 14 vvi-miRNAs were screened with 36 targets which may be involved in powdery mildew resistance in grape. Highly accumulated vvi-NewmiR2118 was detected from accession "Baihe-35-1," whose targets were mostly NBS-LRR resistance genes. It was down-regulated rapidly and strongly in "Baihe-35-1" leaves after inoculated with E. necator, indicating its involvement in grape powdery mildew resistance. Finally, the study verified interaction between vvi-NewmiR2118 and RPP13 by histochemical staining and GUS fluorescence quantitative assay.

Plastoquinone and Ubiquinone in Plants: Biosynthesis, Physiological Function and Metabolic Engineering

Plastoquinone (PQ) and ubiquinone (UQ) are two important prenylquinones, functioning as electron transporters in the electron transport chain of oxygenic photosynthesis and the aerobic respiratory chain, respectively, and play indispensable roles in plant growth and development through participating in the biosynthesis and metabolism of important chemical compounds, acting as antioxidants, being involved in plant response to stress, and regulating gene expression and cell signal transduction. UQ, particularly UQ₁₀, has also been widely used in people's life. It is effective in treating cardiovascular diseases, chronic gingivitis and periodontitis, and shows favorable impact on cancer treatment and human reproductive health. PQ and UQ are made up of an active benzoquinone ring attached to a polyisoprenoid side chain. Biosynthesis of PQ and UQ is very complicated with more than thirty five enzymes involved. Their synthetic pathways can be generally divided into two stages. The first stage leads to the biosynthesis of precursors of benzene quinone ring and prenyl side chain. The benzene quinone ring for UQ is synthesized from tyrosine or phenylalanine, whereas the ring for PQ is derived from tyrosine. The prenyl side chains of PQ and UQ are derived from glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and pyruvate through the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway and/or acetyl-CoA and acetoacetyl-CoA through the mevalonate pathway. The second stage includes the condensation of ring and side chain and subsequent modification. Homogentisate solanesyltransferase, 4-hydroxybenzoate polyprenyl diphosphate transferase and a series of benzene quinone ring modification enzymes are involved in this stage. PQ exists in plants, while UQ widely presents in plants, animals and microbes. Many enzymes and their encoding genes involved in PQ and UQ biosynthesis have been intensively studied recently. Metabolic engineering of UQ₁₀ in plants, such as rice and tobacco, has also been tested. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent research progresses in the biosynthetic pathways of PQ and UQ and enzymes and their encoding genes involved in side chain elongation and in the second stage of PQ and UQ biosynthesis. Physiological functions of PQ and UQ played in plants as well as the practical application and metabolic engineering of PQ and UQ are also included.

Comparative Profiling of miRNAs and Target Gene Identification in Distant-Grafting between Tomato and Lycium (Goji Berry)

Local translocation of small RNAs between cells is proved. Long distance translocation between rootstock and scion is also well documented in the homo-grafting system, but the process in distant-grafting is widely unexplored where rootstock and scion belonging to different genera. Micro RNAs are a class of small, endogenous, noncoding, gene silencing RNAs that regulate target genes of a wide range of important biological pathways in plants. In this study, tomato was grafted onto goji (Lycium chinense Mill.) to reveal the insight of miRNAs regulation and expression patterns within a distant-grafting system. Goji is an important traditional Chinese medicinal plant with enriched phytochemicals. Illumina sequencing technology has identified 68 evolutionary known miRNAs of 37 miRNA families. Moreover, 168 putative novel miRNAs were also identified. Compared with control tomato, 43 (11 known and 32 novels) and 163 (33 known and 130 novels) miRNAs were expressed significantly different in shoot and fruit of grafted tomato, respectively. The fruiting stage was identified as the most responsive in the distant-grafting approach and 123 miRNAs were found as up-regulating in the grafted fruit which is remarkably higher compare to the grafted shoot tip (28). Potential targets of differentially expressed miRNAs were found to be involved in diverse metabolic and regulatory pathways. ADP binding activities, molybdopterin synthase complex and RNA helicase activity were found as enriched terms in GO (Gene Ontology) analysis. Additionally, "metabolic pathways" was revealed as the most significant pathway in KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis. The information of the small RNA transcriptomes that are obtained from this study might be the first miRNAs elucidation for a distant-grafting system, particularly between goji and tomato. The results from this study will provide the insights into the molecular aspects of miRNA-mediated regulation in the medicinal plant goji, and in grafted tomato. Noteworthy, it would provide a basis how miRNA signals could exchange between rootstock and scion, and the relevance to diverse biological processes.

Identification of Rapeseed MicroRNAs Involved in Early Stage Seed Germination under Salt and Drought Stresses

Drought and salinity are severe and wide-ranging abiotic stresses that substantially affect crop germination, development and productivity, and seed germination is the first critical step in plant growth and development. To comprehensively investigate small-RNA targets and improve our understanding of miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation networks during Brassica napus seed imbibition under drought and salt stresses, we constructed three small-RNA libraries from B. napus variety ZS11 embryos exposed to salt (200 mM NaCl, denoted "S"), drought (200 g L(-1) PEG-6000, denoted "D"), and distilled water (denoted "CK") during imbibition and sequenced them using an Illumina Genome Analyzer. A total of 11,528,557, 12,080,081, and 12,315,608 raw reads were obtained from the CK, D, and S libraries, respectively. Further analysis identified 85 known miRNAs belonging to 31 miRNA families and 882 novel miRNAs among the three libraries. Comparison of the D and CK libraries revealed significant down-regulation of six miRNA families, miR156, miR169, miR860, miR399, miR171, and miR395, whereas only miR172 was significantly up-regulated. In contrast, comparison of the S library with the CK library showed significant down-regulation of only two miRNA families: miRNA393 and miRNA399. Putative targets for 336, 376, and 340 novel miRNAs were successfully predicted in the CK, D, and S libraries, respectively, and 271 miRNA families and 20 target gene families [including disease resistance protein (DIRP), drought-responsive family protein (DRRP), early responsive to dehydration stress protein (ERD), stress-responsive alpha-beta barrel domain protein (SRAP), and salt tolerance homolog2 (STH2)] were confirmed as being core miRNAs and genes involved in the seed imbibition response to salt and drought stresses. The sequencing results were partially validated by quantitative RT-PCR for both conserved and novel miRNAs as well as the predicted target genes. Our data suggest that diverse and complex miRNAs are involved in seed imbibition, indicating that miRNAs are involved in plant hormone regulation, and may play important roles during seed germination under salt- or drought-stress conditions.

Novel and conserved miRNAs in the halophyte Suaeda maritima identified by deep sequencing and computational predictions using the ESTs of two mangrove plants

BACKGROUND

Although miRNAs are reportedly involved in the salt stress tolerance of plants, miRNA profiling in plants has largely remained restricted to glycophytes, including certain crop species that do not exhibit any tolerance to salinity. Hence, this manuscript describes the results from the miRNA profiling of the halophyte Suaeda maritima, which is used worldwide to study salt tolerance in plants.

RESULTS

A total of 134 conserved miRNAs were identified from unique sRNA reads, with 126 identified using miRBase 21.0 and an additional eight identified using the Plant Non-coding RNA Database. The presence of the precursors of seven conserved miRNAs was validated in S. maritima. In addition, 13 novel miRNAs were predicted using the ESTs of two mangrove plants, Rhizophora mangle and Heritiera littoralis, and the precursors of seven miRNAs were found in S. maritima. Most of the miRNAs considered for characterization were responsive to NaCl application, indicating their importance in the regulation of metabolic activities in plants exposed to salinity. An expression study of the novel miRNAs in plants of diverse ecological and taxonomic groups revealed that two of the miRNAs, sma-miR6 and sma-miR7, were also expressed in Oryza sativa, whereas another two, sma-miR2 and sma-miR5, were only expressed in plants growing under the influence of seawater, similar to S. maritima.

CONCLUSION

The distribution of conserved miRNAs among only 25 families indicated the possibility of identifying a greater number of miRNAs with increase in knowledge of the genomes of more halophytes. The expression of two novel miRNAs, sma-miR2 and sma-miR5, only in plants growing under the influence of seawater suggested their metabolic regulatory roles specific to saline environments, and such behavior might be mediated by alterations in the expression of certain genes, modifications of proteins leading to changes in their activity and production of secondary metabolites as revealed by the miRNA target predictions. Moreover, the auxin responsive factor targeted by sma-miR7 could also be involved in salt tolerance because the target is conserved between species. This study also indicated that the transcriptome of one species can be successfully used to computationally predict the miRNAs in other species, especially those that have similar metabolism, even if they are taxonomically separated.

Genome-wide discovery and validation of Eucalyptus small RNAs reveals variable patterns of conservation and diversity across species of Myrtaceae

Background

Micro RNAs are a class of small non coding RNAs of 20–24 nucleotides transcribed as single stranded precursors from MIR gene loci. Initially described as post-transcriptional regulators involved in development, two decades ago, miRNAs have been proven to regulate a wide range of processes in plants such as germination, morphology and responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Despite wide conservation in plants, a number of miRNAs are lineage specific. We describe the first genome wide survey of Eucalyptus miRNAs based on high throughput sequencing.

Results

In addition to discovering small RNA sequences, MIR loci were mapped onto the reference genome and interspecific variability investigated. Sequencing was carried out for the two most world widely planted species, E. grandis and E. globulus. To maximize discovery, E. grandis samples were from BRASUZ1, the same tree whose genome provided the reference sequence. Interspecific analysis reinforces the variability in small RNA repertoire even between closely related species. Characterization of Eucalyptus small RNA sequences showed 95 orthologous to conserved miRNAs and 193 novel miRNAs. In silico target prediction confirmed 163 novel miRNAs and degradome sequencing experimentally confirmed several hundred targets. Experimental evidence based on the exclusive expression of a set of small RNAs across 16 species within Myrtaceae further highlighted variable patterns of conservation and diversity of these regulatory elements.

Conclusions

The description of miRNAs in Eucalyptus contributes to scientific knowledge of this vast genre, which is the most widely planted hardwood crop in the tropical and subtropical world, adding another important element to the annotation of Eucalyptus grandis reference genome.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2322-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Extensive Families of miRNAs and PHAS Loci in Norway Spruce Demonstrate the Origins of Complex phasiRNA Networks in Seed Plants

In eudicot plants, the miR482/miR2118 superfamily regulates and instigates the production of phased secondary small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) from NB-LRR (nucleotide binding leucine-rich repeat) genes that encode disease resistance proteins. In grasses, this miRNA family triggers siRNA production specifically in reproductive tissues from long noncoding RNAs. To understand this functional divergence, we examined the small RNA population in the ancient gymnosperm Norway spruce (Picea abies). As many as 41 miRNA families in spruce were found to trigger phasiRNA (phased, secondary siRNAs) production from diverse PHAS loci, with a remarkable 19 miRNA families capable of targeting over 750 NB-LRR genes to generate phasiRNAs. miR482/miR2118, encoded in spruce by at least 24 precursor loci, targets not only NB-LRR genes to trigger phasiRNA production (as in eudicots) but also noncoding PHAS loci, generating phasiRNAs preferentially in male or female cones, reminiscent of its role in the grasses. These data suggest a dual function of miR482/miR2118 present in gymnosperms that was selectively yet divergently retained in flowering plants. A few MIR482/MIR2118 precursors possess an extremely long stem-loop structure, one arm of which shows significant sequence similarity to spruce NB-LRR genes, suggestive of an evolutionary origin from NB-LRR genes through gene duplication. We also characterized an expanded miR390-TAS3 (TRANS-ACTING SIRNA GENE 3)-ARF (AUXIN RESPONSIVE FACTOR) pathway, comprising 18 TAS3 genes of diverse features. Finally, we annotated spruce miRNAs and their targets. Taken together, these data expand our understanding of phasiRNA network in plants and the evolution of plant miRNAs, particularly miR482/miR2118 and its functional diversification.

Role of bioinformatics in establishing microRNAs as modulators of abiotic stress responses: the new revolution

microRNAs (miRs) are a class of 21-24 nucleotide long non-coding RNAs responsible for regulating the expression of associated genes mainly by cleavage or translational inhibition of the target transcripts. With this characteristic of silencing, miRs act as an important component in regulation of plant responses in various stress conditions. In recent years, with drastic change in environmental and soil conditions different type of stresses have emerged as a major challenge for plants growth and productivity. The identification and profiling of miRs has itself been a challenge for research workers given their small size and large number of many probable sequences in the genome. Application of computational approaches has expedited the process of identification of miRs and their expression profiling in different conditions. The development of High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) techniques has facilitated to gain access to the global profiles of the miRs for understanding their mode of action in plants. Introduction of various bioinformatics databases and tools have revolutionized the study of miRs and other small RNAs. This review focuses the role of bioinformatics approaches in the identification and study of the regulatory roles of plant miRs in the adaptive response to stresses.

Plant-Pathogen Interaction-Related MicroRNAs and Their Targets Provide Indicators of Phytoplasma Infection in Paulownia tomentosa × Paulownia fortunei

Paulownia witches’ broom (PaWB) caused by a phytoplasma, has caused extensive losses in the yields of paulownia timber and resulted in significant economic losses. However, the molecular mechanisms in Paulownia that underlie the phytoplasma stress are poorly characterized. In this study, we use an Illumina platform to sequence four small RNA libraries and four degradome sequencing libraries derived from healthy, PaWB-infected, and PaWB-infected 15 mg·L⁻¹ and 30 mg·L⁻¹ methyl methane sulfonate (MMS)-treated plants. In total, 125 conserved and 118 novel microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified and 33 miRNAs responsive to PaWB disease were discovered. Furthermore, 166 target genes for 18 PaWB disease-related miRNAs were obtained, and found to be involved in plant-pathogen interaction and plant hormone signal transduction metabolic pathways. Eleven miRNAs and target genes responsive to PaWB disease were examined by a quantitative real-time PCR approach. Our findings will contribute to studies on miRNAs and their targets in Paulownia, and provide new insights to further understand plant-phytoplasma interactions.

Genome-wide expression profiling of microRNAs in poplar upon infection with the foliar rust fungus Melampsora larici-populina

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the gene expression of target mRNAs involved in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress and pathogen responses. Previous studies have reported miRNAs in Populus that respond to abiotic stresses, such as cold, heat, drought, flooding, high salt and mechanical stress. However, little is known about the regulatory roles of these molecules in the Populus response to the stress of foliar rust fungal infection. Here, we identified the miRNA profiles of Populus after inoculation with Melampsora larici-populina using high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the expression levels of 10 miRNAs.

RESULTS

A total of 90 known miRNAs belonging to 42 families and 378 novel miRNAs were identified from three small-RNA libraries of Populus szechuanica infected with M. larici-populina isolates Sb052 and Th053 and a control. Comparative analysis revealed that the expression of 38 known miRNAs and 92 novel miRNAs in P. szechuanica after infection with different rust fungus isolates showed significant differences, and more miRNAs were suppressed during rust infection. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs, 7 known and 20 novel miRNAs were relevant to the rust fungus infection, and according to KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis, these miRNAs primarily regulate genes encoding disease-resistance proteins, serine/threonine protein kinases, transcription factors, and related proteins. QRT-PCR analysis indicated that most miRNAs were up-regulated in the Sb052 library and down-regulated in the Th053 library at 48 h post-inoculation (hpi).

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that the expression of miRNAs was altered in poplar under stress associated with M. larici-populina infection, and different temporal dynamics were observed in incompatible and compatible libraries. These findings suggest important roles for miRNA regulation in Populus upon infection with foliar rust fungus.

Characterization and comparative profiling of the small RNA transcriptomes in two phases of flowering in Cymbidium ensifolium

Background

Cymbidium ensifolium is one of the most important ornamental flowers in China, with an elegant shape, beautiful appearance, and a fragrant aroma. Its unique flower shape has long attracted scientists. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators in plant development and physiology, including floral development. However, to date, few studies have examined miRNAs in C. ensifolium.

Results

In this study, we employed Solexa technology to sequence four small RNA libraries from two flowering phases to identify miRNAs related to floral development. We identified 48 mature conserved miRNA and 71 precursors. These conserved miRNA belonged to 20 families. We also identified 45 novel miRNA which includes 21 putative novel miRNAs*, and 28 hairpin forming precursors. Two trans-acting small interfering RNAs (ta-siRNAs) were identified, one of which was homologous to TAS3a1. TAS3a1 belongs to the TAS3 family, which has been previously reported to target auxin response factors (ARF) and be involved in plant growth and floral development. Moreover, we built a C. ensifolium transctriptome database to identify genes targeted by miRNA, which resulted in 790 transcriptomic target unigenes. The target unigenes were annotated with information from the non-redundant (Nr), gene ontology database (GO), eukaryotic orthologous groups (KOGs) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) database. The unigenes included MADS-box transcription factors targeted by miR156, miR172 and miR5179, and various hormone responding factors targeted by miR159. The MADS-box transcription factors are well known to determine the identity of flower organs and hormone responding factors involved in floral development. In expression analysis, three novel and four conserved miRNA were differentially expressed between two phases of flowering. The results were confirmed by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR. The differential expression of two miRNA, miR160 and miR396, targeted ARFs and growth regulating factor (GRF), respectively. However, most of these small RNA were clustered in the uncharacterized group, which suggests there may be many novel small non-coding RNAs yet to be discovered.

Conclusion

Our study provides a diverse set of miRNAs related to cymbidium floral development and serves as a useful resource for investigating miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms of floral development.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1764-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Discovery of microRNAs and transcript targets related to witches' broom disease in Paulownia fortunei by high-throughput sequencing and degradome approach

Paulownia witches' broom (PaWB) caused by the phytoplasma is a devastating disease of Paulownia trees. It has caused heavy yield losses to Paulownia production worldwide. However, knowledge of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression by microRNAs (miRNAs), especially miRNAs responsive to PaWB disease stress, is still rudimentary. In this study, to identify miRNAs and their transcript targets that are responsive to PaWB disease stress, six sequencing libraries were constructed from healthy (PF), PaWB-infected (PFI), and PaWB-infected, 20 mg L(-1) methyl methane sulfonate-treated (PFI20) P. fortunei seedlings. As a result, 95 conserved miRNAs belonging to 18 miRNA families, as well as 122 potential novel miRNAs, were identified. Most of them were found to be a response to PaWB disease-induced stress, and the expression levels of these miRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The study simultaneously identified 109 target genes from the P. fortunei for 14 conserved miRNA families and 24 novel miRNAs by degradome sequencing. Furthermore, the functions of the miRNA targets were annotated based on Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. The results presented here provide the groundwork for further analysis of miRNAs and target genes responsive to the PaWB disease stress, and could be also useful for addressing new questions to better understand the mechanisms of plant infection by phytoplasma in the future.

Systematic functional genomics resource and annotation for poplar

Poplar, as a model species for forestry research, has many excellent characteristics. Studies on functional genes have provided the foundation, at the molecular level, for improving genetic traits and cultivating elite lines. Although studies on functional genes have been performed for many years, large amounts of experimental data remain scattered across various reports and have not been unified via comprehensive statistical analysis. This problem can be addressed by employing bioinformatic methodology and technology to gather and organise data to construct a Poplar Functional Gene Database, containing data on 207 poplar functional genes. As an example, the authors investigated genes of Populus euphratica involved in the response to salt stress. Four small cDNA libraries were constructed and treated with 300 mM NaCl or pure water for 6 and 24 h. Using high-throughput sequencing, they identified conserved and novel miRNAs that were differentially expressed. Target genes were next predicted and detailed functional information derived using the Gene Ontology database and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. This information provides a primary visual schema allowing us to understand the dynamics of the regulatory gene network responding to salt stress in Populus.

Identification of jasmonic acid-associated microRNAs and characterization of the regulatory roles of the miR319/TCP4 module under root-knot nematode stress in tomato

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulators of gene expression that play crucial roles in the responses to diverse stresses. To explore jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent miRNA-mediated regulatory networks that are responsive to root-knot nematode (RKN), two small RNA libraries were constructed from wild-type (WT) and JA mutant (spr2) plants. A total of 263 known miRNAs and 441 novel miRNAs were significantly regulated under RKN stress in the two libraries. The spatio-temporal expression of candidate miRNAs and their corresponding targets were analysed by qRT-PCR under RKN stress. A clear negative correlation was observed between miR319 and its target TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PRO-LIFERATING CELL FACTOR 4 (TCP4) in leaf, stem, and root under RKN stress, implying that the miR319/TCP4 module is involved in the systemic defensive response. Reverse genetics demonstrated that the miR319/TCP4 module affected JA synthetic genes and the endogenous JA level in leaves, thereby mediating RKN resistance. These results suggested that the action of miR319 in serving as a systemic signal responder and regulator that modulated the RKN systemic defensive response was mediated via JA. The potential cross-talk between miR319/TCP4 and miR396/GRF (GROWTH RESPONDING FACTOR) in roots under RKN invasion is discussed, and a predictive model regarding miR319/TCP4-mediated RKN resistance is proposed.

miRNA-based drought regulation in wheat

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding regulatory RNAs that regulate gene expression by guiding target mRNA cleavage or translational inhibition. Drought is a common environmental stress influencing crop growth and development. To date, it has been reported that a number of plant miRNA are involved in drought stress response. In this study, we comparatively investigated drought stress-responsive miRNAs in the root and leaf of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Sivas 111/33) by miRNA microarray screening. miRNA microarray analysis showed that 285 miRNAs (207 upregulated and 78 downregulated) and 244 miRNAs (115 upregulated and 129 downregulated) were differentially expressed in leaf and root tissues, respectively. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs, 23 miRNAs were only expressed in the leaf and 26 miRNAs were only expressed in the root of wheat growth under drought stress. Upon drought treatment, expression of miR159, miR160, miR166, miR169, miR172, miR395, miR396, miR408, miR472, miR477, miR482, miR1858, miR2118, and miR5049 were found to be significantly differentiated in bread wheat. The regulatory network analysis showed that miR395 has connections with a number of target transcripts, and miR159 and miR319 share a number of target genes. Drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive wheat cultivars showed altered expression pattern upon drought stress in terms of investigated miRNA and their target transcript expression level.

Association mapping in Populus reveals the interaction between Pto-miR530a and its target Pto-KNAT1

We used transcript profiling and multi-SNP association to investigate the genetic regulatory relationship between miRNA Pto-miR530a and its target Pto-KNAT1, identifying additive, dominant, and epistatic effects. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in the post-transcriptional regulation of plant growth and development; indeed, many studies have described the importance of miRNA-target interactions in herbaceous species. However, elucidation of the miRNA-target interactions in trees may require novel strategies. In the present study, we describe a strategy combining expression profiling by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and association mapping with multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to evaluate the interaction between Pto-miR530a and its target Pto-KNAT1 in Populus tomentosa. RT-qPCR analysis showed a negative correlation (r = -0.62, P < 0.05) between expression levels of Pto-miR530a and Pto-KNAT1 in eight tissues. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to identify allelic variants of Pto-miR530a and Pto-KNAT1 that associated with eight traits related to growth and wood properties, in a population of 460 unrelated individuals of P. tomentosa. This analysis identified 27 associations, with the proportions of phenotypic variance (R (2)) contributed by each SNP ranging of 0.82-15.81 %, the additive effects of each SNP ranging of 0.16-18.09, and the dominant effects ranging from -14.09 to 19.00. Epistatic interaction models showed a strong interaction among SNPs in the miRNA target with R (2) of 0.1-3.56 %, and information gain of significant SNP pairs of -3.09 to 0.93 %, representing the regulatory interactions between the miRNA and the mRNA. Thus, we used a new strategy that combines association genetics and expression profiling based on SNPs to study the regulatory relationship between this miRNA and its target mRNA, thereby providing novel advances in our understanding of the genetic architecture of important traits.

Genome-Wide Mapping and Analysis of Grapevine MicroRNAs and Their Potential Target Genes

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, nonprotein-coding, endogenously expressed, small RNAs 19 to 25 nucleotides in length. Recognizing the lack of specific and systematic studies on genome-wide mapping of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) miRNAs, we conducted genome-wide mapping of Vv-miRNAs (V. vinifera miRNAs), SB-miRNAs (V. vinifera L. 'Summer Black' miRNAs), and Va-miRNAs (V. amurensis Rupr. miRNAs). The mapping results revealed that many of miRNAs located within the intergenic region had independent transcription units. To further validate the mapping results and existence of miRNAs, 12 randomly selected precursors of miRNAs (pre-miRNAs) were successfully cloned and sequenced. Subsequently, 15 conserved and 29 nonconserved intragenic (intronic, exonic) Vv-miRNA genes, 24 nonconserved intragenic SB-miRNA genes, and 23 nonconserved intragenic Va-miRNA genes were labeled on the basis of their locations in host genes, and 15 MIRNA clusters were detected. Interestingly, five miRNA pairs, namely, Vv-MIR395b and Vv-MIR395c, Vv-MIR482 and Vv-MIRC13, Vv-MIR172a and Va-MIR057, SB-MIR024 and Vv-MIRC35, and Vv-MIRC36 and Va-MIR073 were clustered in the host genes GSVIVT01011558001, GSVIVT01008132001, GSVIVT01031524001, GSVIVT01028156001, and GSVIVT01024516001, respectively. To validate the existence of target genes and miRNA-guided cleavage sites, 3'-end product of four predicted target messenger RNAs were amplified by RNA ligase-mediated 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. In addition, we also conducted contrastive analysis on the genomic location of miRNAs and their potential target genes. Results showed that the order of priority of miRNA-target interaction may be less closely related with their genomic location. These findings could benefit some further study on grapevine functional genomics and will provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms and evolution of miRNAs in Vitis species.

MicroRNAs expression patterns in the response of poplar woody root to bending stress

The paper reports for the first time, in poplar woody root, the expression of five mechanically-responsive miRNAs. The observed highly complex expression pattern of these miRNAs in the bent root suggest that their expression is not only regulated by tension and compression forces highlighting their role in several important processes, i.e., lateral root formation, lignin deposition, and response to bending stress. Mechanical stress is one of the major abiotic stresses significantly affecting plant stability, growth, survival, and reproduction. Plants have developed complex machineries to detect mechanical perturbations and to improve their anchorage. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs (18-24 nucleotides long), have been shown to regulate various stress-responsive genes, proteins and transcription factors, and play a crucial role in counteracting adverse conditions. Several mechanical stress-responsive miRNAs have been identified in the stem of Populus trichocarpa plants subjected to bending stress. However, despite the pivotal role of woody roots in plant anchorage, molecular mechanisms regulating poplar woody root responses to mechanical stress have still been little investigated. In the present paper, we investigate the spatial and temporal expression pattern of five mechanically-responsive miRNAs in three regions of bent poplar woody taproot and unstressed controls by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Alignment of the cloned and sequenced amplified fragments confirmed that their nucleotide sequences are homologous to the mechanically-responsive miRNAs identified in bent poplar stem. Computational analysis identified putative target genes for each miRNA in the poplar genome. Additional miRNA target sites were found in several mechanical stress-related factors previously identified in poplar root and a subset of these was further analyzed for expression at the mRNA or protein level. Integrating the results of miRNAs expression patterns and target gene functions with our previous morphological and proteomic data, we concluded that the five miRNAs play crucial regulatory roles in reaction woody formation and lateral root development in mechanically-stressed poplar taproot.

Identification of miRNAs and Their Targets in Cotton Inoculated with Verticillium dahliae by High-Throughput Sequencing and Degradome Analysis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of endogenous small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress response processes. Verticillium wilt is a vascular disease in plants mainly caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., the soil-borne fungal pathogen. However, the role of miRNAs in the regulation of Verticillium defense responses is mostly unknown. This study aimed to identify new miRNAs and their potential targets that are involved in the regulation of Verticillium defense responses. Four small RNA libraries and two degradome libraries from mock-infected and infected roots of cotton (both Gossypiumhirsutum L. and Gossypiumbarbadense L.) were constructed for deep sequencing. A total of 140 known miRNAs and 58 novel miRNAs were identified. Among the identified miRNAs, many were differentially expressed between libraries. Degradome analysis showed that a total of 83 and 24 genes were the targets of 31 known and 14 novel miRNA families, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that many of the identified miRNA targets may function in controlling root development and the regulation of Verticillium defense responses in cotton. Our findings provide an overview of potential miRNAs involved in the regulation of Verticillium defense responses in cotton and the interactions between miRNAs and their corresponding targets. The profiling of these miRNAs lays the foundation for further understanding of the function of small RNAs in regulating plant response to fungal infection and Verticillium wilt in particular.

Rice osa-miR171c Mediates Phase Change from Vegetative to Reproductive Development and Shoot Apical Meristem Maintenance by Repressing Four OsHAM Transcription Factors

Phase change from vegetative to reproductive development is one of the critical developmental steps in plants, and it is regulated by both environmental and endogenous factors. The maintenance of shoot apical meristem (SAM) identity, miRNAs and flowering integrators are involved in this phase change process. Here, we report that the miRNA osa-miR171c targets four GRAS (GAI-RGA-SCR) plant-specific transcription factors (OsHAM1, OsHAM2, OsHAM3, and OsHAM4) to control the floral transition and maintenance of SAM indeterminacy in rice (Oryza sativa). We characterized a rice T-DNA insertion delayed heading (dh) mutant, where the expression of OsMIR171c gene is up-regulated. This mutant showed pleiotropic phenotypic defects, including especially prolonged vegetative phase, delayed heading date, and bigger shoot apex. Parallel expression analysis showed that osa-miR171c controlled the expression change of four OsHAMs in the shoot apex during floral transition, and responded to light. In the dh mutant, the expression of the juvenile-adult phase change negative regulator osa-miR156 was up-regulated, expression of the flowering integrators Hd3a and RFT1 was inhibited, and expression of FON4 negative regulators involved in the maintenance of SAM indeterminacy was also inhibited. From these data, we propose that the inhibition of osa-miR171c-mediated OsHAM transcription factors regulates the phase transition from vegetative to reproductive development by maintaining SAM indeterminacy and inhibiting flowering integrators.

Identification and Characterization of MicroRNAs in Ginkgo biloba var. epiphylla Mak

Ginkgo biloba, a dioecious plant known as a living fossil, is an ancient gymnosperm that stands distinct from other gymnosperms and angiosperms. Ginkgo biloba var. epiphylla (G. biloba var. epiphylla), with ovules borne on the leaf blade, is an unusual germplasm derived from G. biloba. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional gene regulators that play critical roles in diverse biological and metabolic processes. Currently, little is known about the miRNAs involved in the key stage of partly epiphyllous ovule germination in G. biloba var. epiphylla. Two small RNA libraries constructed from epiphyllous ovule leaves and normal leaves of G. biloba var. epiphylla were sequenced on an Illumina/Solexa platform. A total of 82 miRNA sequences belonging to 23 families and 53 putative novel miRNAs were identified in the two libraries. Differential expression analysis showed that 25 conserved and 21 novel miRNAs were differentially expressed between epiphyllous ovule leaves and normal leaves. The expression patterns of partially differentially expressed miRNAs and the transcript levels of their predicted target genes were validated by quantitative real time RT-PCR. All the expression profiles of the 21 selected miRNAs were similar to those detected by Solexa deep sequencing. Additionally, the transcript levels of almost all the putative target genes of 9 selected miRNAs were opposite to those of the corresponding miRNAs. The putative target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs were annotated with Gene Ontology terms related to reproductive process, metabolic process and responding to stimulus. This work presents a broad range of small RNA transcriptome data obtained from epiphyllous ovule and normal leaves of G. biloba var. epiphylla, which may provide insights into the miRNA-mediated regulation in the epiphyllous ovule germination process.

Comparative analysis of the Dicer-like gene family reveals loss of miR162 target site in SmDCL1 from Salvia miltiorrhiza

DCL1, the core component for miRNA biogenesis, is itself regulated by miR162 in Arabidopsis. MiRNA-mediated feedback regulation of AtDCL1 is important to maintain the proper level of DCL1 transcripts. However, it is unknown whether the miRNA-mediated regulation of DCL1 is conserved among plants. We analyzed the SmDCL gene family in Salvia miltiorrhiza, an emerging model plant for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) studies, using a comprehensive approach integrating genome-wide prediction, molecular cloning, gene expression profiling, and posttranscriptional regulation analysis. A total of five SmDCLs were identified. Comparative analysis of SmDCLs and AtDCLs showed an apparent enlargement of SmDCL introns in S. miltiorrhiza. The absence of miR162 in S. miltiorrhiza and the loss of miR162 target site in SmDCL1 were unexpectedly found. Further analysis showed that the miR162 target site was not present in DCL1 from ancient plants and was gained during plant evolution. The gained miR162 target site might be lost in a few modern plants through nucleotide mutations. Our results provide evidence for the gain and loss of miR162 and its target sites in Dicer-like genes during evolution. The data is useful for understanding the evolution of miRNA-mediated feedback regulation of DCLs in plants.

MicroRNA: a new target for improving plant tolerance to abiotic stress

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an extensive class of endogenous, small RNA molecules that sit at the heart of regulating gene expression in multiple developmental and signalling pathways. Recent studies have shown that abiotic stresses induce aberrant expression of many miRNAs, thus suggesting that miRNAs may be a new target for genetically improving plant tolerance to certain stresses. These studies have also shown that miRNAs respond to environmental stresses in a miRNA-, stress-, tissue-, and genotype-dependent manner. During abiotic stress, miRNAs function by regulating target genes within the miRNA-target gene network and by controlling signalling pathways and root development. Generally speaking, stress-induced miRNAs lead to down-regulation of negative regulators of stress tolerance whereas stress-inhibited miRNAs allow the accumulation and function of positive regulators. Currently, the majority of miRNA-based studies have focused on the identification of miRNAs that are responsive to different stress conditions and analysing their expression profile changes during these treatments. This has predominately been accomplished using deep sequencing technologies and other expression analyses, such as quantitative real-time PCR. In the future, more function and expression studies will be necessary in order to elucidate the common miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms that underlie tolerance to different abiotic stresses. The use of artificial miRNAs, as well as overexpression and knockout/down of both miRNAs and their targets, will be the best techniques for determining the specific roles of individual miRNAs in response to environmental stresses.

Role of microRNAs in plant drought tolerance

Drought is a normal and recurring climate feature in most parts of the world and plays a major role in limiting crop productivity. However, plants have their own defence systems to cope with adverse climatic conditions. One of these defence mechanisms is the reprogramming of gene expression by microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs of approximately 22 nucleotides length, which have emerged as important regulators of genes at post-transcriptional levels in a range of organisms. Some miRNAs are functionally conserved across plant species and are regulated by drought stress. These properties suggest that miRNA-based genetic modifications have the potential to enhance drought tolerance in cereal crops. This review summarizes the current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of plant miRNAs, involvement of plant miRNAs in drought stress responses in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Triticum spp.) and other plant species, and the involvement of miRNAs in plant-adaptive mechanisms under drought stress. Potential strategies and directions for future miRNA research and the utilization of miRNAs in the improvement of cereal crops for drought tolerance are also discussed.

Manipulating microRNAs for improved biomass and biofuels from plant feedstocks

Petroleum-based fuels are nonrenewable and unsustainable. Renewable sources of energy, such as lignocellulosic biofuels and plant metabolite-based drop-in fuels, can offset fossil fuel use and reverse environmental degradation through carbon sequestration. Despite these benefits, the lignocellulosic biofuels industry still faces many challenges, including the availability of economically viable crop plants. Cell wall recalcitrance is a major economic barrier for lignocellulosic biofuels production from biomass crops. Sustainability and biomass yield are two additional, yet interrelated, foci for biomass crop improvement. Many scientists are searching for solutions to these problems within biomass crop genomes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in almost all biological and metabolic process in plants including plant development, cell wall biosynthesis and plant stress responses. Because of the broad functions of their targets (e.g. auxin response factors), the alteration of plant miRNA expression often results in pleiotropic effects. A specific miRNA usually regulates a biologically relevant bioenergy trait. For example, relatively low miR156 overexpression leads to a transgenic feedstock with enhanced biomass and decreased recalcitrance. miRNAs have been overexpressed in dedicated bioenergy feedstocks such as poplar and switchgrass yielding promising results for lignin reduction, increased plant biomass, the timing of flowering and response to harsh environments. In this review, we present the status of miRNA-related research in several major biofuel crops and relevant model plants. We critically assess published research and suggest next steps for miRNA manipulation in feedstocks for increased biomass and sustainability for biofuels and bioproducts.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of drought-responsive genes and microRNAs in tobacco

Drought stress response is a complex trait regulated at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in tobacco. Since the 1990s, many studies have shown that miRNAs act in many ways to regulate target expression in plant growth, development and stress response. The recent draft genome sequence of Nicotiana benthamiana has provided a framework for Digital Gene Expression (DGE) and small RNA sequencing to understand patterns of transcription in the context of plant response to environmental stress. We sequenced and analyzed three Digital Gene Expression (DGE) libraries from roots of normal and drought-stressed tobacco plants, and four small RNA populations from roots, stems and leaves of control or drought-treated tobacco plants, respectively. We identified 276 candidate drought responsive genes (DRGs) with sequence similarities to 64 known DRGs from other model plant crops, 82 were transcription factors (TFs) including WRKY, NAC, ERF and bZIP families. Of these tobacco DRGs, 54 differentially expressed DRGs included 21 TFs, which belonged to 4 TF families such as NAC (6), MYB (4), ERF (10), and bZIP (1). Additionally, we confirmed expression of 39 known miRNA families (122 members) and five conserved miRNA families, which showed differential regulation under drought stress. Targets of miRNAs were further surveyed based on a recently published study, of which ten targets were DRGs. An integrated gene regulatory network is proposed for the molecular mechanisms of tobacco root response to drought stress using differentially expressed DRGs, the changed expression profiles of miRNAs and their target transcripts. This network analysis serves as a reference for future studies on tobacco response stresses such as drought, cold and heavy metals.

Lipopolysaccharide perception leads to dynamic alterations in the microtranscriptome of Arabidopsis thaliana cells and leaf tissues

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA molecules which have recently emerged as important gene regulators in plants and their gene expression analysis is becoming increasingly important. miRNAs regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by translational repression or target degradation of specific mRNAs and gene silencing. In order to profile the microtranscriptome of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf and callus tissues in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), small RNA libraries were constructed at 0 and 3 h post induction with LPS and sequenced by Illumina sequencing technology.

RESULTS

Differential regulation of subset of miRNAs in response to LPS treament was observed. Small RNA reads were mapped to the miRNA database and 358 miRNAs belonging to 49 miRNA families in the callus tissues and 272 miRNAs belonging to 40 miRNA families in the leaf tissues were identified. Moreover, target genes for all the identified miRNAs families in the leaf tissues and 44 of the 49 miRNAs families in the callus tissues were predicted. The sequencing analysis showed that in both callus and leaf tissues, various stress regulated-miRNAs were differentially expressed and real time PCR validated the expression profile of miR156, miR158, miR159, miR169, miR393, miR398, miR399 and miR408 along with their target genes.

CONCLUSION

A. thaliana callus and leaf callus tissues respond to LPS as a microbe-associated molecular pattern molecule through dynamic changes to the microtranscriptome associated with differential transcriptional regulation in support of immunity and basal resistance.

miRNA expression during prickly pear cactus fruit development

miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. They are involved in the control of many developmental processes, including fruit development. The increasing amount of information on miRNAs, on their expression, abundance, and conservation between various species, provides a new opportunity to study the role of miRNAs in non-model plant species. In this work, we used a combination of Northern blot and tissue print hybridization analysis to identify conserved miRNAs expressed during prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit development. Comparative profiling detected the expression of 34 miRNAs, which were clustered in three different groups that were associated with the different phases of fruit development. Variation in the level of miRNA expression was observed. Gradual expression increase of several miRNAs was observed during fruit development, including miR164. miR164 was selected for stem-loop RT-PCR and for a detailed spatial-temporal expression analysis. At early floral stages, miR164 was mainly localized in meristematic tissues, boundaries and fusion zones, while it was more homogenously expressed in fruit tissues. Our results provide the first evidence of miRNA expression in the prickly pear cactus and provide the basis for future research on miRNAs in Opuntia. Moreover, our analyses suggest that miR164 plays different roles during prickly pear cactus fruit development.

miRNA expression during prickly pear cactus fruit development

miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. They are involved in the control of many developmental processes, including fruit development. The increasing amount of information on miRNAs, on their expression, abundance, and conservation between various species, provides a new opportunity to study the role of miRNAs in non-model plant species. In this work, we used a combination of Northern blot and tissue print hybridization analysis to identify conserved miRNAs expressed during prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit development. Comparative profiling detected the expression of 34 miRNAs, which were clustered in three different groups that were associated with the different phases of fruit development. Variation in the level of miRNA expression was observed. Gradual expression increase of several miRNAs was observed during fruit development, including miR164. miR164 was selected for stem-loop RT-PCR and for a detailed spatial-temporal expression analysis. At early floral stages, miR164 was mainly localized in meristematic tissues, boundaries and fusion zones, while it was more homogenously expressed in fruit tissues. Our results provide the first evidence of miRNA expression in the prickly pear cactus and provide the basis for future research on miRNAs in Opuntia. Moreover, our analyses suggest that miR164 plays different roles during prickly pear cactus fruit development.

Identification of microRNAs and target genes in the fruit and shoot tip of Lycium chinense: a traditional Chinese medicinal plant

Although Lycium chinense (goji berry) is an important traditional Chinese medicinal plant, little genome information is available for this plant, particularly at the small-RNA level. Recent findings indicate that the evolutionary role of miRNAs is very important for a better understanding of gene regulation in different plant species. To elucidate small RNAs and their potential target genes in fruit and shoot tissues, high-throughput RNA sequencing technology was used followed by qRT-PCR and RLM 5’-RACE experiments. A total of 60 conserved miRNAs belonging to 31 families and 30 putative novel miRNAs were identified. A total of 62 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, of which 15 (14 known and 1 novel) were shoot-specific, and 12 (7 known and 5 novel) were fruit-specific. Additionally, 28 differentially expressed miRNAs were recorded as up-regulated in fruit tissues. The predicted potential targets were involved in a wide range of metabolic and regulatory pathways. GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis and the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) database revealed that “metabolic pathways” is the most significant pathway with respect to the rich factor and gene numbers. Moreover, five miRNAs were related to fruit maturation, lycopene biosynthesis and signaling pathways, which might be important for the further study of fruit molecular biology. This study is the first, to detect known and novel miRNAs, and their potential targets, of L. chinense. The data and findings that are presented here might be a good source for the functional genomic study of medicinal plants and for understanding the links among diversified biological pathways.