ABSTRACT: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulatory molecules involved in various biological that function in numerous processes. YetHowever, their roles in male reproductive development and their interactions with miRNAs remained elusive. In this study, a high-throughput sequencing was performed forof anthers at different developmental stages in Arabidopsis, which identified 1283 lncRNAs including 524 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) among different developmental stages. Most of these DELs exhibited positive correlations with thein their expression patterns with of adjacent protein-coding genes. Additionally, wWeighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) analysis showedrevealed that protein-coding genes targeted by DELs in four modules associated withrelated to the tetrad stage were annotated for functions related toassociated with functions such as pollen wall formation, pollen germination, or pollen tube growth, respectively. Furthermore, five, 10, and 11 lncRNAs were predicted as miRNAs’ endogenous target mimics (eTMs), precursors, and natural antisense transcripts of pri-miRNA, respectively. Remarkably, one of the lncRNA,s, host gene of ath-miR167a (ath-miR167aHG) was , predicted to beas the precursor of miR167a, and was selected for function validation. Its Ooverexpression of ath-miR167aHG led toresulted in the up-regulation of miR167a and the subsequent down-regulation of miR167a’s target genes ARF6 and ARF8, demonstrating a functional interaction between ath-miR167aHG and miR167a. The transgenic plants showed delayed flowering, shorter filaments, abnormal anther dehiscence, and undeveloped siliques ultimately, suggesting an a involvement role of ath-miR167aHG during in male reproductive development. Collectively, our research shed new light onprovided a new insight into the roles functions of lncRNAs in male reproductive development and uncovered the unique interactions between lncRNAs and miRNAs.
