Expression Alteration of Candidate Rice MiRNAs in Response to Sheath Blight Disease

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Biology, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Biology, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

3 Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

4 Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

5 Department of Plant Protection Research, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Isfahan, Iran.

6 Plant Protection Department, Rice Research Institute of Iran (RRII), Rasht, Iran

Abstract

Background: MicroRNAs, as small non-coding RNAs, are recently reported to be involved in plant defense system against pathogens including fungi.
Objective: In this research, it was intended to investigate candidate susceptible rice (Oryza Sativa) Osa-miRNA expression alteration following the infection by Rhizoctonia solani.
Materials and Methods: To this aim, literature review suggested eight conserved plant miRNAs that are involved in other plant-pathogen interactions. Then, sixty days old rice plants (Hashemi, susceptible cultivar) were inoculated with R. solani and candidate miRNA expression alterations were investigated 2 hpi (hours post inoculation), 2 dpi (days post inoculation) and 6 dpi.
Results: RT-qPCR analysis suggested four subgroups of candidate miRNAs based on the time of their responses to the pathogenesis of R. solani. While Osa-miR-156 was early-responsive, Osa-miR159 was the last-responsive and Osa-miR167, Osa-miR171, Osa-miR408, and Osa-miR444 were late responsive to R. solani infection. Osa-miR166 and Osa-miR393 were non-responsive to this infection, compared to the mock-inoculated control group. Consistently, Os-SPL3 and Os-MADS known target genes were expressed in reverse correlation to Osa-miR156 and Osa-miR444, respectively.
Conclusions: From these data, it is suggested that both early (Osa-miR-156) and late (Osa-miR167, Osa-miR171, OsamiR408, Osa-miR444) responsive miRNAs might be involved in R. solani infection in rice plants.

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