Microarray identification of conserved microRNAs in Pinellia pedatisecta.

Large numbers of microRNAs (miRNAs) reportedly play important roles in plant development. However, none has been reported in Pinellia pedatisecta, an important aroid medicinal plant that possesses the only pedate leaf blades and the largest tubers and inflorescences among all Pinellia species. To detect the miRNAs from P. pedatisecta, an in situ synthesized custom miRNA microarray was employed, following the verification for the presence of the miRNAs through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). A total of 99 miRNAs belonging to 22 miRNA families were identified. The RT-PCR was applied to 14 miRNAs detected to validate the microarray results. The qRT-PCR that targeted seven miRNAs showed different expression levels of miRNAs in different tissues. The current research is the first to report on the miRNAs in P. pedatisecta and will enable further investigation of their roles in P. pedatisecta development.