Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of 21 nt non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) produced from endogenously expressed MIR genes. MiRNAs are mostly involved in development and disease resistance. To know the involvement of miRNAs during domestication of rice, sRNA sequencing of two wild species (O. nivara and O. rufipogon), one landrace (O. sativa chomala) and one cultivated species of rice (O. sativa indica Pusa Basmati-1) was carried out. Analysis of sRNA datasets revealed a surprisingly higher abundance of 22nt sRNAs originating from a loci on Chromosome 2 in wild rice species. This locus codes for a 22 nt miRNA named as miR397. Studies in Arabidopsis and O. sativa japonica nipponbare have shown that miR397 targets a group of proteins called laccases, which are involved in secondary metabolite (lignin) production. The expression of these targets also differs across the species shown through RNA-Seq analysis. Although a functional significance of this interaction between the miRNA and laccase has not been understood. In the current study we attempt to explain the functional relevance of the miRNA in domestication of rice.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of 21 nt non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) produced from endogenously expressed MIR genes. MiRNAs are mostly involved in development and disease resistance. To know the involvement of miRNAs during domestication of rice, sRNA sequencing of two wild species (O. nivara and O. rufipogon), one landrace (O. sativa chomala) and one cultivated species of rice (O. sativa indica Pusa Basmati-1) was carried out. Analysis of sRNA datasets revealed a surprisingly higher abundance of 22nt sRNAs originating from a loci on Chromosome 2 in wild rice species. This locus codes for a 22 nt miRNA named as miR397. Studies in Arabidopsis and O. sativa japonica nipponbare have shown that miR397 targets a group of proteins called laccases, which are involved in secondary metabolite (lignin) production. The expression of these targets also differs across the species shown through RNA-Seq analysis. Although a functional significance of this interaction between the miRNA and laccase has not been understood. In the current study we attempt to explain the functional relevance of the miRNA in domestication of rice.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of 21 nt non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) produced from endogenously expressed MIR genes. MiRNAs are mostly involved in development and disease resistance. To know the involvement of miRNAs during domestication of rice, sRNA sequencing of two wild species (O. nivara and O. rufipogon), one landrace (O. sativa chomala) and one cultivated species of rice (O. sativa indica Pusa Basmati-1) was carried out. Analysis of sRNA datasets revealed a surprisingly higher abundance of 22nt sRNAs originating from a loci on Chromosome 2 in wild rice species. This locus codes for a 22 nt miRNA named as miR397. Studies in Arabidopsis and O. sativa japonica nipponbare have shown that miR397 targets a group of proteins called laccases, which are involved in secondary metabolite (lignin) production. The expression of these targets also differs across the species shown through RNA-Seq analysis. Although a functional significance of this interaction between the miRNA and laccase has not been understood. In the current study we attempt to explain the functional relevance of the miRNA in domestication of rice.
Project description:Plant laccase genes belong to a multigene family, play key roles in lignin polymerization, and participate in the resistance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. Switchgrass is an important resource for forage and bioenergy production, yet information about the switchgrass laccase gene family is scarce. Using bioinformatic approaches, a genome-wide analysis of the laccase multigene family in switchgrass was carried out in this study. In total, 49 laccase genes (PvLac1 to PvLac49) were identified; these can be divided into five subclades, and 20 of them were identified as targets of miR397. The tandem and segmental duplication of laccase genes on Chr05 and Chr08 contributed to the expansion of the laccase family. The laccase proteins shared conserved signature sequences but displayed relatively low sequence similarity, indicating the potential functional diversity of switchgrass laccases. Switchgrass laccases exhibited distinct tissue/organ expression patterns, revealing that some laccases might be involved in the lignification process during stem development. All five of the laccase isoforms selected from different subclades responded to heavy metal. The immediate response of lignin-related laccases, as well as the delayed response of low-abundance laccases, to heavy-metal treatment shed light on the multiple roles of laccase isoforms in response to heavy-metal stress.