title: Identification and profiling of conserved and novel microRNAs involved in oil and oleic acid production during embryogenesis in Carya cathayensis Sarg.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of plant development and fruit formation. Mature embryos of hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.) nuts contain more than 70% oil (comprising 90% unsaturated fatty acids), along with a substantial amount of oleic acid. To understand the roles of miRNAs involved in oil and oleic acid production during hickory embryogenesis, three small RNA libraries from different stages of embryogenesis were constructed. Deep sequencing of these three libraries identified 95 conserved miRNAs with 19 miRNA*s, 7 novel miRNAs (as well as their corresponding miRNA*s), and 26 potentially novel miRNAs. The analysis identified 15 miRNAs involved in oil and oleic acid production that are differentially expressed during embryogenesis in hickory. Among them, nine miRNA sequences, including eight conserved and one novel, were confirmed by qRT-PCR. In addition, 145 target genes of the novel miRNAs were predicted using a bioinformatic approach. Our results provide a framework for better understanding the roles of miRNAs during embryogenesis in hickory.
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Zhengjia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Ruiming
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Zhichao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China. huangjq@zafu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jianqin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D031325:Carya / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Embryos; Hickory; MicroRNA; Oil; Oleic acid