title: Small RNA-Seq analysis reveals microRNA-regulation of the Imd pathway during Escherichia coli infection in Drosophila.
abstract: Drosophila have served as a model for research on innate immunity for decades. However, knowledge of the post-transcriptional regulation of immune gene expression by microRNAs (miRNAs) remains rudimentary. In the present study, using small RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis, we identified 67 differentially expressed miRNAs in Drosophila infected with Escherichia coli compared to injured flies at three time-points. Furthermore, we found that 21 of these miRNAs were potentially involved in the regulation of Imd pathway-related genes. Strikingly, based on UAS-miRNAs line screening and Dual-luciferase assay, we identified that miR-9a and miR-981 could both negatively regulate Drosophila antibacterial defenses and decrease the level of the antibacterial peptide, Diptericin. Taken together, these data support the involvement of miRNAs in the regulation of the Drosophila Imd pathway.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Shengjie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Lianjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Jiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China. Electronic address: mafei01@tsinghua.org.cn.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019295:Computational Biology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C054756:DptA protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C547291:MIRN9 microRNA, Drosophila; D035683:MicroRNAs; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; C442328:lmd protein, Drosophila; C000624550:mir-981 microRNA, Drosophila
keywords: Diptericin; Drosophila melanogaster; Imd pathway; Small RNA-Seq; miR-981; miR-9a