title: Salt and drought stresses induce the aberrant expression of microRNA genes in tobacco.
abstract: Drought and salinity stresses significantly altered microRNA (miRNA) expression in a dose-dependent manner in tobacco. Salinity stress changed the miRNA expression levels from a 6.86-fold down-regulation to a 616.57-fold up-regulation. Alternatively, miRNAs were down-regulated by 2.68-fold and up-regulated 2810-fold under drought conditions. miR395 was most sensitive to both stresses and was up-regulated by 616 and 2810-folds by 1.00% PEG and 0.171 M NaCl, respectively. Salinity and drought stresses also changed the expression of protein-coding genes [alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and alcohol peroxidase (APX)]. The results suggest that miRNAs may play an important role in plant response to environmental abiotic stresses. Further investigation of miRNA-mediated gene regulation may elucidate the molecular mechanism of plant tolerance to abiotic stresses and has the potential to create a miRNA-based biotechnology for improving plant tolerance to drought and salinity stresses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
authors.forename: Taylor P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Frazier
authors.forename: Guiling
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Caitlin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Burklew
authors.forename: Baohong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D003681:Dehydration / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D036226:Seedlings; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012965:Sodium Chloride