Characterization and expression patterns of microRNAs involved in rice grain filling.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are upstream gene regulators of plant development and hormone homeostasis through their directed cleavage or translational repression of the target mRNAs, which may play crucial roles in rice grain filling and determining the final grain weight and yield. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was performed to survey the dynamic expressions of miRNAs and their corresponding target genes at five distinct developmental stages of grain filling. In total, 445 known miRNAs and 45 novel miRNAs were detected with most of them expressed in a developmental stage dependent manner, and the majority of known miRNAs, which increased gradually with rice grain filling, showed negatively related to the grain filling rate. Detailed expressional comparisons revealed a clear negative correlation between most miRNAs and their target genes. It was found that specific miRNA cohorts are expressed in a developmental stage dependent manner during grain filling and the known functions of these miRNAs are involved in plant hormone homeostasis and starch accumulation, indicating that the expression dynamics of these miRNAs might play key roles in regulating rice grain filling.
Research Center for Rice Engineering of Henan Agricultural University and Key Laboratory of Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China.
Ting
T
Peng
Hongzheng
H
Sun
Yanxiu
Y
Du
Jing
J
Zhang
Junzhou
J
Li
Yanxia
Y
Liu
Yafan
Y
Zhao
Quanzhi
Q
Zhao
D001483:Base Sequence; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant; D013213:Starch / Q000096:biosynthesis
D035683:MicroRNAs; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D013213:Starch