Computational identification and analysis of novel sugarcane microRNAs

Thiebaut, F., Grativol, C., Carnavale-Bottino, M., Rojas, C. A., Tanurdzic, M., Farinelli, L., Martienssen, R. A., Hemerly, A. S., Ferreira, P. C. (July 2012) Computational identification and analysis of novel sugarcane microRNAs. BMC genomics, 13. p. 290. ISSN 1471-2164 (Electronic)1471-2164 (Linking)

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URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22747909
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-290

Abstract

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: MicroRNA-regulation of gene expression plays a key role in the development and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Deep sequencing analyses accelerate the process of small RNA discovery in many plants and expand our understanding of miRNA-regulated processes. We therefore undertook small RNA sequencing of sugarcane miRNAs in order to understand their complexity and to explore their role in sugarcane biology. RESULTS: A bioinformatics search was carried out to discover novel miRNAs that can be regulated in sugarcane plants submitted to drought and salt stresses, and under pathogen infection. By means of the presence of miRNA precursors in the related sorghum genome, we identified 623 candidates of new mature miRNAs in sugarcane. Of these, 44 were classified as high confidence miRNAs. The biological function of the new miRNAs candidates was assessed by analyzing their putative targets. The set of bona fide sugarcane miRNA includes those likely targeting serine/threonine kinases, Myb and zinc finger proteins. Additionally, a MADS-box transcription factor and an RPP2B protein, which act in development and disease resistant processes, could be regulated by cleavage (21-nt-species) and DNA methylation (24-nt-species), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A large scale investigation of sRNA in sugarcane using a computational approach has identified a substantial number of new miRNAs and provides detailed genotype-tissue-culture miRNA expression profiles. Comparative analysis between monocots was valuable to clarify aspects about conservation of miRNA and their targets in a plant whose genome has not yet been sequenced. Our findings contribute to knowledge of miRNA roles in regulatory pathways in the complex, polyploidy sugarcane genome.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > miRNA
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > miRNA
organism description > plant
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Martienssen lab
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 2 July 2012
Date Deposited: 18 Jan 2013 14:07
Last Modified: 09 Apr 2014 18:58
PMCID: PMC3464620
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/27063

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