Spatiotemporal regulation of target mRNA cleavage by 21-nt phasiRNAs in maize anthers [degradome-seq]

ABSTRACT: In grasses, 21- and 24-nt phasiRNAs are abundantly expressed in anthers and play crucial roles in anther development and male reproduction. 21-nt phasiRNAs can act in cis to direct the cleavage of their own precursor transcripts and is thought to lack trans cleavage targets in maize. Here we show that 21-nt phasiRNAs direct the cleavage of hundreds of target mRNAs in maize, with the cleavage activity being enriched in male germ cells. Interestingly, whereas 21-nt phasiRNAs in anthers (somatic anther wall cells) do not have obvious preference for a particular nucleotide at the 5’ end and target genes implicated in stress response and cellular homeostasis, 21-nt phasiRNAs in male germ cells preferentially initiate with 5’ C and associate with ZmAGO5c/MAGO2/MS28 to target genes related to meiotic processes. Our results indicate that mRNA cleavage is a conserved mechanism used by 21-nt phasiRNAs for gene regulation. However, the sequences of 21-nt phasiRNAs and their targets show low conservation in maize and rice, suggesting that 21PHAS loci and 21-nt phasiRNA targets have undergone fast divergence in monocots.

ORGANISM(S): Zea mays

PROVIDER: GSE279865 | GEO | 2025/05/26

REPOSITORIES: GEO