Title
Novel and conserved miRNAs among Brazilian pine and other gymnosperms
Date Issued
01 January 2019
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Universidad Federal de Río Grande del Sur
Universidad Federal de Río Grande del Sur
Publisher(s)
Frontiers Media S.A.
Abstract
The knowledge about plant miRNAs has increased exponentially, with thousands of miRNAs been reported in different plant taxa using high throughput sequencing technologies and bioinformatic tools. Nevertheless, several groups of plants remain unexplored, and the gap of knowledge about conifer miRNAs is considerable. There is no sequence or functional information available on miRNAs in Araucariaceae. This group is represented in Brazil by only one species, Araucaria angustifolia, an endangered species known as Brazilian pine. In the present study, Brazilian pine has its transcriptome explored with respect to small RNAs, representing the first description in a member of the Araucariaceae family. The screening for conserved miRNAs in Brazilian pine revealed 115 sequences of 30 miRNA families. A total of 106 precursors sequences were predicted. Forty one comprised conserved miRNAs from 16 families, whereas 65 were annotated as novel miRNAs. The comparison of Brazilian pine precursors with sRNA libraries of other five conifer species indicates that 9 out 65 novel miRNAs are conserved among gymnosperms, while 56 seems to be specific for Brazilian pine or restricted to Araucariaceae family. Analysis comparing novel Brazilian pine miRNAs precursors and Araucaria cunninghamii RNA-seq data identified seven orthologs between both species. Mature miRNA identified by bioinformatics predictions were validated using stem-loop RT-qPCR assays. The expression pattern of conserved and novel miRNAs was analyzed in five different tissues of 3-month-old Araucaria seedlings. The present study provides insights about the nature and composition of miRNAs in an Araucariaceae species, with valuable information on miRNAs diversity and conservation in this taxon.
Volume
10
Issue
MAR
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Genética, Herencia Bioquímica, Biología molecular
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85066626941
Source
Frontiers in Genetics
ISSN of the container
16648021
Sponsor(s)
RM is the recipient of a research fellowship 309030/2015-3 from Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq. JG and ME are the recipients of a Ph.D. fellowships from Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq. FG is the recipient of Post-Doctoral fellowship from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior CAPES. The present study was also partially supported through a grant from INCT-MCTIC.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus