title: ASR5 is involved in the regulation of miRNA expression in rice.
abstract: The work describes an ASR knockdown transcriptomic analysis by deep sequencing of rice root seedlings and the transactivation of ASR cis-acting elements in the upstream region of a MIR gene. MicroRNAs are key regulators of gene expression that guide post-transcriptional control of plant development and responses to environmental stresses. ASR (ABA, Stress and Ripening) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors with key roles in different biological processes. In rice, ASR proteins have been suggested to participate in the regulation of stress response genes. This work describes the transcriptomic analysis by deep sequencing two libraries, comparing miRNA abundance from the roots of transgenic ASR5 knockdown rice seedlings with that of the roots of wild-type non-transformed rice seedlings. Members of 59 miRNA families were detected, and 276 mature miRNAs were identified. Our analysis detected 112 miRNAs that were differentially expressed between the two libraries. A predicted inverse correlation between miR167abc and its target gene (LOC_Os07g29820) was confirmed using RT-qPCR. Protoplast transactivation assays showed that ASR5 is able to recognize binding sites upstream of the MIR167a gene and drive its expression in vivo. Together, our data establish a comparative study of miRNAome profiles and is the first study to suggest the involvement of ASR proteins in miRNA gene regulation.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43312, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil. laurobucker@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lauro Bücker
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Uva e Vinho, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Rua Livramento 515, Bento Gonçalves, RS, 95700-000, Brazil. rafaarenhart@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Rafael Augusto
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Arenhart
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43431, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil. scryrps@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luiz Felipe Valter
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Passo Fundo, Laboratório de Genética Molecular, BR285, Passo Fundo, RS, 99052-900, Brazil. juliocesarlima@upf.br.
authors.forename: Júlio Cesar
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43312, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil. maria.zanettini@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Maria Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bodanese-Zanettini
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43431, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil. rogerio.margis@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Rogerio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margis
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, prédio 43312, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil. marcia.margis@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margis-Pinheiro
mesh_terms: D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Gene expression profile; MiRNAome; Roots; Transcription factor