Unique miRNAs and their targets in tomato leaf responding to combined drought and heat stress

TY - JOUR

T1 - Unique miRNAs and their targets in tomato leaf responding to combined drought and heat stress

AU - Zhou, Rong

AU - Yu, Xiaqing

AU - Ottosen, Carl Otto

AU - Zhang, Tingling

AU - Wu, Zhen

AU - Zhao, Tongmin

PY - 2020/3

Y1 - 2020/3

N2 - Background: Both drought and heat stress are serious global problems, leading to agricultural production loss. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in plant species responding to individual drought and heat stress. However, the miRNAs and mRNAs in association with combined drought and heat in crops like tomato remains unclear. Results: We studied the crosstalk of miRNAs and their target genes in tomato plants grown under simultaneous drought and heat stress that frequently happen in field conditions. In total, 335 known miRNAs representing 55 miRNA families and 430 potential novel miRNAs were identified in Solanum lycopersicum L. using small RNA deep sequencing. Through expression analysis, miRNAs in association with drought, heat and the combination of these were investigated. In total, 61, 74 and 37 miRNAs were differentially regulated for combination (of both stresses) vs control, combination vs drought and combination vs heat, respectively. Target genes with different expression levels were found using degradome sequencing, which were mainly involved in transcription factor activity, sequence-specific DNA binding, transcription, regulation of transcription, nucleus, DNA binding etc. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results confirmed the accuracy of sequencing. Conclusions: Our study serves as valuable knowledge on how crop adapted to combined drought and heat stress by regulating miRNAs and mRNAs, which provide information for crop improvement to deal with future climate changes.

AB - Background: Both drought and heat stress are serious global problems, leading to agricultural production loss. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in plant species responding to individual drought and heat stress. However, the miRNAs and mRNAs in association with combined drought and heat in crops like tomato remains unclear. Results: We studied the crosstalk of miRNAs and their target genes in tomato plants grown under simultaneous drought and heat stress that frequently happen in field conditions. In total, 335 known miRNAs representing 55 miRNA families and 430 potential novel miRNAs were identified in Solanum lycopersicum L. using small RNA deep sequencing. Through expression analysis, miRNAs in association with drought, heat and the combination of these were investigated. In total, 61, 74 and 37 miRNAs were differentially regulated for combination (of both stresses) vs control, combination vs drought and combination vs heat, respectively. Target genes with different expression levels were found using degradome sequencing, which were mainly involved in transcription factor activity, sequence-specific DNA binding, transcription, regulation of transcription, nucleus, DNA binding etc. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results confirmed the accuracy of sequencing. Conclusions: Our study serves as valuable knowledge on how crop adapted to combined drought and heat stress by regulating miRNAs and mRNAs, which provide information for crop improvement to deal with future climate changes.

KW - Combined abiotic stress

KW - Degradome

KW - Functional analysis

KW - miRNAs

KW - Solanum lycopersicum L.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85081527730

U2 - 10.1186/s12870-020-2313-x

DO - 10.1186/s12870-020-2313-x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32143575

AN - SCOPUS:85081527730

SN - 1471-2229

VL - 20

JO - BMC Plant Biology

JF - BMC Plant Biology

M1 - 107

ER -