Identification of miRNAs and Their Targets in Cunninghamia lanceolata Under Low Phosphorus Stress Based on Small RNA and Degradome Sequencing

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) is one of the main afforestation tree species in southern China. Continuous planting for multiple generations has led to a decrease in the content of available phosphorus in the soil. To adapt to low phosphorus stress, plants develop a series of physiological, biochemical, and developmental responses through self-regulation. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs play a regulatory role in plants' responses to low phosphorus stress. However, the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in Chinese fir in response to low phosphorus stress is still unclear. Here, we performed small RNA sequencing on the Chinese fir roots treated with normal phosphorus and low phosphorus and identified a total of 321 miRNAs, including 139 known miRNAs and 182 new miRNAs, with 43 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs). Integrative analysis combined with degradome sequencing data revealed that 193 miRNAs (98 known and 95 new) targeted 469 genes, among which 23 DEMs targeted 44 genes. Gene enrichment analysis indicated that under low phosphorus stress, transcription and transcriptional regulation, as well as signal transduction, were significantly activated in Chinese fir. Modules in the miRNA-target pathways, such as miR166/HD-ZIP III, miR169/NFYA7, miR529/SPL, and miR399/UBC23, may be the key regulatory factors in the response to low phosphorus stress in Chinese fir. In addition, we found that PC-3p-1033_8666 was significantly downregulated and that PC-5p-3786_2830 was significantly upregulated, which presumably respond to low phosphorus stress by indirectly affecting phosphorus-related hormone signaling or PSR genes. The identified miRNA-target network and significantly activated pathways in this study provide insights into the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of Chinese fir adapting to low phosphorus environments, which can offer theoretical references for the stress resistance and superior variety breeding of Chinese fir.