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mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation
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mirMachine: A One-Stop Shop for Plant miRNA Annotation

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miR156- and miR171-binding sites in the protein-coding sequences of several plant genes

Assyl Bari1, Saltanat Orazova, Anatoliy Ivashchenko

  • 1Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050038, Kazakhstan.

Biomed Research International
|August 13, 2013
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) targeting SPL and HAM genes in Arabidopsis thaliana show conserved binding sites and encoded peptides across species. This suggests merging miR156/miR157 and miR170/miR171 families due to conserved functions.

Area of Science:

  • Plant molecular biology
  • Genetics and genomics
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression in plants.
  • SPL and HAM genes are important in plant development.
  • Understanding miRNA-mRNA interactions is crucial for deciphering gene regulatory networks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize miRNA binding sites in SPL and HAM gene homologs across different plant species.
  • To investigate the conservation of these binding sites and the encoded amino acid motifs.
  • To propose potential reclassifications of miRNA families based on conserved interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis of miRNA binding sites in mRNA sequences of SPL and HAM genes.
  • Sequence alignment and homology searches across multiple plant species.
  • Identification of conserved nucleotide sequences and encoded peptide motifs.

Main Results:

  • Conserved binding sites for miR156/miR157 were found in SPL gene mRNAs, encoding the ALSLLS motif.
  • Conserved binding sites for miR170/miR171 were identified in HAM gene mRNAs, encoding the ILARLN motif.
  • These binding sites and encoded motifs are conserved in orthologs across numerous plant species.

Conclusions:

  • The miR156 and miR157 families likely share conserved functions and could be merged.
  • The miR170 and miR171 families also exhibit conserved interactions and potential for merging.
  • Conserved miRNA-mRNA interactions highlight fundamental regulatory mechanisms in plant gene expression.

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