title: Difference in miRNA expression profiles between two cotton cultivars with distinct salt sensitivity.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous, non-coding small RNAs that play important roles in many developmental processes and stress responses in plants and animals. Cotton (Gossypium                         hirsutum L.) is considered a relatively salt-tolerant non-halophytic plant species. To study the role of miRNAs in salt adaptation, a salt-tolerant cotton cultivar SN-011 and a salt-sensitive cultivar LM-6 were used to detect differentially expressed miRNAs. Using miRNA microarray analysis and a computational approach, 17 cotton miRNAs belonging to eight families were identified. Although they are conserved, 12 of them showed a genotype-specific expression model in both the cultivars. Under salt stress treatment, miR156a/d/e, miR169, miR535a/b and miR827b were dramatically down-regulated in SN-011, while miR167a, miR397a/b and miR399a were up-regulated. Only miR159 was found to be down-regulated in LM-6 under salt stress. To gain insight into their functional significance, 26 target genes were predicted and their functional similarity was further analyzed. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that the expression of seven target genes showed a significant inverse correlation with corresponding miRNAs. These differentially expressed miRNAs can help in further study into the role of transcriptome homeostasis in the adaptation responses of cotton to salt.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zujun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jiwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yudong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chunhe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiulan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Fafu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D019295:Computational Biology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects*; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D003368:Gossypium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D012965:Sodium Chloride