Characterization and comparison of flower bud microRNAs from yellow-horn species

An increasing number of microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play crucial regulatory roles in floral organ differentiation and development. Yellow-horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge) is an oil-rich seed shrub that has great potential for biodiesel production. To evaluate the roles of miRNAs in the regulation of flower development, we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize them from flower buds of double-flower yellow-horn mutant and wild-type plants. Approximately 33 million raw reads were obtained through Solexa sequencing of two small RNA libraries, and the conserved and novel miRNA locations were annotated. Nineteen conserved miRNAs (belonging to nine families) and eight novel miRNAs were identified from the two libraries. Twelve conserved and eight novel miRNA-star sequences were also discovered, providing additional evidence for the existence of miRNAs in this species. Thirteen miRNAs were differentially expressed between wild-type and mutant plants. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed the expression patterns of eight microRNAs, which were confirmed by sequencing. The assessed targets of these miRNAs are involved in transcriptional regulation, disease resistance, antioxidative metabolism, nucleobase regulation, and nucleic acid metabolism. This study opens up new avenues for understanding the roles of miRNAs in X. sorbifolia.