Prediction of miRNA and Identification of their Relationship Network Related to Late Blight Disease of Potato

Role of microRNAs and their putative mechanism in regulating potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) life cycle and response to various environmental stresses

The exponentially increasing population and the demand for food is inextricably linked. This has shifted global attention to improving crop plant traits to meet global food demands. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a major non-grain food crop that is grown all over the world. Currently, some of the major global potato research work focuses on the significance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in potato. miRNAs are a type of non-coding RNAs that regulate the gene expression of their target mRNA genes by cleavage and/or their translational inhibition. This suggests an essential role of miRNAs in a multitude of plant biological processes, including maintenance of genome integrity, plant growth, development and maturation, and initiation of responses to various stress conditions. Therefore, engineering miRNAs to generate stress-resistant varieties of potato may result in high yield and improved nutritional qualities. In this review, we discuss the potato miRNAs specifically known to play an essential role in the various stages of the potato life cycle, conferring stress-resistant characteristics, and modifying gene expression. This review highlights the significance of the miRNA machinery in plants, especially potato, encouraging further research into engineering miRNAs to boost crop yields and tolerance towards stress.

Peptide Extracts from Seven Medicinal Plants Discovered to Inhibit Oomycete Phytophthora infestans, a Causative Agent of Potato Late Blight Disease

We report the inhibitory effect of peptide extracts obtained from seven medicinal plants against a causative agent of late blight disease Phytophthora infestans. We find that all the extracts possess inhibitory activity toward the zoospores output, zoosporangium germination, and the development of P. infestans on potato disc tubers at different quantitative levels. Based on the biological effects detected, an extract of common horsetail (Equisetum arvense) biomass is recognized as the most effective and is selected for further structural analysis. We perform a combination of amino acid analysis and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, which reveal the presence of Asn/Asp- and Gln/Glu-rich short peptides with molecular masses in the range of 500-900 Da and not exceeding 1500 Da as the maximum. Analytical anion-exchange HPLC is successfully applied for separation of the peptide extract from common horsetail (E. arvense). We collect nine dominant components that are combined in two groups with differences in retention times. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the prevalent compounds after analytical ion-exchange HPLC allows us to identify them as peptide fragments of functionally active proteins associated with photosynthesis, aquatic transport, and chitin binding. The anti-oomycete effects may be associated with the conversion of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase to produce a number of biologically active anionic peptides with possible regulatory functions. These data inform our knowledge regarding biologically active peptide fragments; they are the components of programmed or induced proteolysis of plant proteins and can realize secondary antimicrobial functions.