RNA-seq original data of nodules in WT and MIM396 alfalfa plants
To investigate the potential molecular mechanism of miR396b-MsGRF1c pathway in regulating nodule senescence, RNA sequencing was conducted on WT and MIM396 transgenic nodules after inoculation with Sm1021 for 60 days (dpi). KEGG pathway enrichment analyses indicated that the DEGs were significantly involved in the pathways that related to the proteasome and peroxisome, as well as the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) term analysis revealed that the DEGs were linked to catalytic, transporter, and antioxidant activities within the molecular function category, along with roles in metabolic processes, developmental processes, and immune system processes in the biological processes category. DEGs belonging to the papain family of cysteine proteases, which serve as markers of nodule senescence, as well as those linked to developmental programmed cell death, were found to be down-regulated in the MIM396 transgenic nodules. The transcriptome analysis revealed that overexpression of MIM396 changed the transcriptional expression of a series of genes related senescence of nodules.