Project description:Brassinosteroids (BRs) are endogenous plant hormones and essential for normal plant growth and development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) of Arabidopsis thaliana are involved in mediating cell proliferation in leaves, stress tolerance, and root development. The specifics of BRs mechanisms involving miRNAs are unknown. To explore the role of miRNAs in BR-mediated pathways, we analyzed differences in miRNA profiles between control (mock solution) and 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) treatments from customized miRNA microarrays.
Project description:Brassinosteroids (BRs) are endogenous plant hormones and essential for normal plant growth and development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) of Arabidopsis thaliana are involved in mediating cell proliferation in leaves, stress tolerance, and root development. The specifics of BRs mechanisms involving miRNAs are unknown. To explore the role of miRNAs in BR-mediated pathways, we analyzed differences in miRNA profiles between control (mock solution) and 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) treatments from customized miRNA microarrays. Seedlings were separately cultured under exogenous 10 nM EBR treatments for 30 (EBR30) or 180 (EBR180) minutes, and total RNAs of all seedlings were extracted after seven days of growth. Two independent experiments were performed at each time (30 or 180 minutes).
Project description:Cuscuta campestris is an obligate stem parasite which uses an organ called the haustoria to divert water and photosynthates from the host. Previously, we have identified that at the haustorial interface between Cuscuta campestris and Arabidopsis thaliana, miRNAs generated by the parasite are able to move into the host and regulate host gene expression. This study identifies how long after attachment does trans-species miRNA transcription begin in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum, as well as identifying which stage of haustoria development they become detectable. A time course was performed by harvesting interfaces every 24 hours post attachment, and samples were subjected to RNA extraction and sRNA sequencing. We have identified that in Arabidopsis thaliana, trans-species miRNAs become detectable two days post attachment. In S. lycopersicum, some trans-species miRNAs are detectable one day post attachment, but all become detectable by day 2. Secondary siRNA accumulation was detected four days post attachment in both hosts. In order to determine which stage of haustoria development trans-species miRNAs become detectable, vibratome sectioning was performed on the haustorial interfaces of both hosts. By looking at the morphology of the developing haustoria, it was determined that trans-species miRNAs become detectable during the adhesive phase. This suggests that trans-species miRNA production is one of the first steps of haustoria development, as the parasite tissue has not started to invade host tissue before they become detectable.
Project description:The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of autotetraploidy on gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana by comparing diploid versus tetraploid transcriptomes. In particular, this included the comparison of the transcriptome of different tetraploid A. thaliana ecotypes (Col-0 vs. Ler-0). The study was extended to address further aspects. One was the comparison of the transcriptomes in subsequent generations. This intended to obtain information on the genome wide stability of autotetraploid gene expression. Another line of work compared the transcriptomes of different diploid vs. tetraploid tissues. This aimed to investigate whether particular gene groups are specifically affected during the development of A. thaliana autotetraploids. Samples 1-8: Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 tetraploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of diploid vs. tetraploid Col-0 seedlings. The experiment was carried out with pedigree of independently generated and assessed tetraploid Col-0 lines. Samples 9-12: Arabidopsis thaliana Ler-0 tetraploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of diploid vs. tetraploid Ler-0 seedlings. The experiment was carried out with pedigree of independently generated and assessed tetraploid Ler-0 lines. Samples 13-24: Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 tetraploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of diploid vs. tetraploid Col-0 leaves (6th - 8th). The experiment was carried out with pedigree of independently generated and assessed tetraploid Col-0 lines. Samples 25-32: Arabidopsis thaliana Ler-0 tetraploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of diploid vs. tetraploid Ler-0 leaves (6th - 8th). The experiment was carried out with pedigree of independently generated and assessed tetraploid Ler-0 lines. Samples 33-36: Arabidopsis thaliana Ler-0 tetraploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of tetraploid vs. tetraploid Ler-0 seedlings from the second (F2) and third (F3) generation after induction, respectively. The experiment was carried out with pedigree of independently generated and assessed tetraploid Ler-0 lines. Samples 37-40: Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 tetraploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of tetraploid vs. tetraploid Col-0 seedlings from the second (F2) and third (F3) generation after induction, respectively. The experiment was carried out with pedigree of independently generated and assessed tetraploid Col-0 lines. Samples 41-44: Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0/Ler-0 diploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of diploid Col-0 vs. diploid Ler-0 seedlings. The experiment was carried out with pedigree of esrablished lines. Samples 45-48: Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0/Ler-0 tetraploid transcriptome. Transcriptional profiling and comparison of tetraploid Col-0 vs tetraploid Ler-0 seedlings. The experiment was carried out with pedigree of independently generated and assessed tetraploid Col-0 and Ler-0 lines.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21-24 nucleotide (nt) small non-coding RNAs that regulate a wide variety of biological processes at the posttranscriptional level. MiRNA expression often exhibits spatial and temporal specificity. However, genome-wide miRNA expression patterns in different Arabidopsis organs during plant development have not yet been fully investigated. In this study, we sequenced 59 small RNA libraries generated from different tissue types at different developmental stages of Arabidopsis. We then re-annotated Arabidopsis miRNAs based on the most recent criteria. Global analysis of miRNA expression patterns showed that most miRNAs are ubiquitously expressed in different organs or tissues. But a small set of miRNAs, either previously annotated or newly identified, show highly specific expression patterns. In addition, the expression of some miRNA members belonging to the same family is strictly regulated spatially and temporally. Unexpectedly, we found that quite a few miRNAs are produced from different arms of their hairpin precursors at different developmental stages, suggesting that arm switching could be a general and important mechanism in developmental regulation.