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Expression Alteration of Candidate Rice MiRNAs in Response to Sheath Blight Disease
Soheila Talesh Sasani1,2, Bahram M Soltani1, Rahim Mehrabi3
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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, Osa- miR408, Osa-miR444) responsive miRNAs might be involved in R. solani infection in rice plants.
Insights
Rice microRNAs (miRNAs) show altered expression during Rhizoctonia solani infection. Both early and late-responsive miRNAs are implicated in the plant
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Plant pathology
- Genomics and transcriptomics
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression.
- miRNAs play a role in plant defense mechanisms against fungal pathogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the expression changes of candidate rice miRNAs in response to Rhizoctonia solani infection.
- Identify specific miRNAs involved in the rice-fungus interaction.
Main Methods:
- Literature review to identify conserved plant miRNAs involved in plant-pathogen interactions.
- Inoculation of susceptible rice cultivar (Hashemi) with R. solani.
- RT-qPCR analysis of miRNA expression at 2 hours post-inoculation (hpi), 2 days post-inoculation (dpi), and 6 dpi.
Main Results:
- Four subgroups of rice miRNAs exhibited differential expression patterns in response to R. solani.
- Osa-miR-156 showed early-responsive expression, while Osa-miR159 was late-responsive.
- Osa-miR167, Osa-miR171, Osa-miR408, and Osa-miR444 were late-responsive, whereas Osa-miR166 and Osa-miR393 were non-responsive.
- Expression of target genes (Os-SPL3 and Os-MADS) correlated inversely with specific miRNAs (Osa-miR156 and Osa-miR444).
Conclusions:
- Both early (Osa-miR-156) and late-responsive (Osa-miR167, Osa-miR171, Osa-miR408, Osa-miR444) miRNAs are likely involved in the rice response to R. solani infection.
- These findings contribute to understanding miRNA-mediated regulation in plant-fungus interactions.
- Highlights the potential of specific miRNAs as targets for developing disease-resistant rice varieties.
