Small RNA-omics analysis of different alfalfa varieties under saline-alkali stress.
Small RNA-omics analysis revealed that 212 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIs) play roles in response to saline-alkali stress. Integrated analysis of DEMIs and differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) identified a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network involved in saline-alkali stress response, and pinpointed the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway as well as the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway as key routes in coping with such stress. Moreover, this study constructed miRNA-mRNA regulatory modules responsive to saline-alkali stress, and found that members of the miR164 and miR172 families regulate CSE (MsG0880047430.01) and TPS (MsG0880045029.01), respectively, thereby participating in the stress response. These findings reveal the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying alfalfa adaptation to saline-alkali stress, and provide valuable molecular resources for the multi-gene synergistic improvement of salt-alkali tolerance in alfalfa.