Literature DB >> 25356812

Novel miRNA and phasiRNA biogenesis networks in soybean roots from two sister lines that are resistant and susceptible to SCN race 4.

Miaoyun Xu1, Yinghui Li2, Qiuxue Zhang1, Tao Xu1, Lijuan Qiu2, Yunliu Fan1, Lei Wang1.   

Abstract

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is the most devastating pathogen of soybean worldwide. SiRNAs (small interfere RNAs) have been proven to induce the silencing of cyst nematode genes. However, whether small RNAs from soybean root have evolved a similar mechanism against SCN is unknown. Two genetically related soybean sister lines (ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413), which are resistant and susceptible, respectively, to SCN race 4 infection were selected for small RNA deep sequencing to identify small RNAs targeted to SCN. We identified 71 less-conserved miRNAs-miRNAs* counterparts belonging to 32 families derived from 91 loci, and 88 novel soybean-specific miRNAs with distinct expression patterns. The identified miRNAs targeted 42 genes representing a wide range of enzymatic and regulatory activities. Roots of soybean conserved one TAS (Trans-acting siRNA) gene family with a similar but unique trans-acting small interfering RNA (tasiRNA) biogenesis profile. In addition, we found that six miRNAs (gma-miR393, 1507, 1510, 1515, 171, 2118) guide targets to produce secondary phasiRNAs (phased, secondary, small interfering RNAs) in soybean root. Multiple targets of these phasiRNAs were predicted and detected. Importantly, we also found that the expression of 34 miRNAs differed significantly between the two lines. Seven ZP03-5373-specific miRNAs were differentially expressed after SCN infection. Forty-four transcripts from SCN were predicted to be potential targets of ZP03-5373-specific differential miRNAs. These findings suggest that miRNAs play an important role in the soybean response to SCN.

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Year:  2014        PMID: 25356812      PMCID: PMC4214822          DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110051

Source DB:  PubMed          Journal:  PLoS One        ISSN: 1932-6203            Impact factor:   3.240


Introduction

Soybean (Glycine max) is an agronomically important crop that is rich in human dietary protein. The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, is an obligate sedentary endoparasite that causes extensive damage to soybean worldwide and accounts for over one billion dollars of crop loss annually in the US [1]. These obligate parasites start their life cycles as non-feeding, mobile infective second-stage juveniles (J2) in soil that are able to locate and then penetrate into host roots [2]. The J2 then initiate the formation of specialized feeding sites called syncytia, which function as metabolic sinks to nourish the nematodes. In susceptible cultivars, nematodes depend entirely on functional syncytia to acquire nutrients to develop into reproductive adult males or females. The J2 also penetrate roots of resistant cultivars and initiate syncytia. However, resistance soon manifests as degeneration of the young syncytia and failure of the nematode to develop further [3]. Syncytium formation and maintenance are mediated through nematode signaling and are accompanied by changes in plant gene expression [4]. Identification of host plant genes and nematode genes that change expression, and may therefore be involved in plant–nematode interactions, would increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in this complex interaction, which will lead to the development of durable crop protection strategies. With the recent discovery of gene expression control of parasitism proteins via siRNA molecules [5], and recent advances in genomics, small RNAs (sRNAs), which are involved in the molecular mechanism of the soybean-SCN system, are now the focus of much research. Endogenous sRNAs are known to be important regulators of gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In plants they are divided into several classes: trans-acting siRNAs (tasiRNAs), heterochromatin-associated siRNAs, natural antisense siRNAs (nat-siRNAs) and miRNAs [6]. These classes of non-coding RNAs are distinguished by their biogenesis pathways and the types of genomic loci from which they arise [7]. TasiRNA biogenesis from TAS loci depends on the miRNA-directed cleavage of their transcripts [8], [9]; indeed, three tasiRNA pathways have been characterized in Arabidopsis [8], [10]. Although miRNAs constitute only a small fraction of the sRNA population [11], [12], miRNA-guided post-transcriptional gene regulation is one of the most conserved and well-characterized gene regulatory mechanisms [11], [13], [14]. There is increasing evidence that miRNAs negatively regulate their target genes, which function in a wide range of biological processes, including organogenesis, signal transduction and stress responses [15], [16]. Plant miRNAs are generated from hairpin-structured non-coding transcripts and processed by Dicer such as DCL1 (DICER-LIKE 1), which cleaves a short (21-bp) duplex from the stem region [17]. The duplex is incorporated into an AGO complex and the miRNA* strand is subsequently degraded. The mature miRNA strand guides the AGO complex (RNA-induced silencing complex, RISC) to either protein-coding RNAs, which are cleaved by AGO at a specific position [18], or translational arrest [19]. Due to their evolutionary conservation, miRNAs have been found to exist in both plants [20], [21] and animals [22]–[24]. Conserved miRNA molecules can also be found in ferns, mosses and fungi [11]. To date, many miRNAs have been identified and deposited in miRBase V20.0 (http://www.mirbase.org/). Of these, 25,141 are mature miRNA products, from a total of 193 species. Comparative analysis indicates that some of the miRNA families are highly conserved among all plant species while others have diverged and evolved, generating abundant family- and species-specific miRNAs [11], [25], [26]. These dynamic and evolving miRNAs could serve as a driving force for the selection of improved and novel traits in plants. As non-conserved or species-specific miRNAs are often expressed at a lower level than conserved miRNAs, many species-specific miRNAs have not been identified in small-scale sequencing projects. However, high-throughput sequencing technologies allow identification of many species-specific miRNAs in several species [10], [27]–[31]. Elucidating the function of these molecules requires effective approaches to identifying their targets. Recently, a new method called degradome sequencing, which combines high-throughput RNA sequencing with bioinformatic tools, has been used to screen for miRNA targets in Arabidopsis [32]–[34]. Using degradome sequencing, many of the previously validated and predicted targets of miRNAs and tasiRNAs have been verified [32], [33], [35], [36], indicating that this is an efficient strategy for identifying sRNA targets in plants on a large scale. To determine if soybean has evolved sRNAs that repress the development and growth of SCN, and their potential targets, we selected the sister lines ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413, which are resistant and susceptible, respectively, to SCN race 4 infection, and performed a comprehensive analysis of root miRNAs by deep sequencing, computational prediction and molecular approaches. Novel and conserved soybean miRNAs, tasiRNAs and phasiRNAs, and their partial targets were identified. Small RNAs upregulated by SCN infection were identified and the molecular regulation mechanism was discussed.

Results

sRNA population in soybean root

To investigate the role of soybean miRNAs in response to SCN infection, two genetically related soybean sister lines (ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413) were subjected to deep sequencing. The sister lines shared the same parents and displayed a different resistance to SCN race 4. Line ZP03-5373 exhibited high resistance to SCN race 4, whereas ZP03-5413 was susceptible to race 4. Two sRNA libraries from the roots of the sister lines were constructed and sequenced using Illumina GAIIx. A total of 15,101,204 sRNA raw reads were generated. After removing adaptor sequences, filtering out low quality reads and cleaning up sequences derived from adaptor–adaptor ligation, 7,903,242 and 5,931,837 reads, respectively, were obtained. These sRNAs consisted of 4,979,640 unique sequences (Table S1), which were matched to the public soybean genomic database (Soybean Genome V9.0, http://www.phytozome.net/index.php) using the SOAP program, leading to 3,409,866 genome-matched unique reads. These reads were subjected to further analysis (Table S1). The 20–24-nt sRNAs constituted over 80% of the identified soybean sRNAs, and the 21-nt class of sRNAs was the most abundant in both lines (Figure 1A). Notably, the expression of the unique 24-nt sRNAs was markedly higher than the 21-nt class in both lines (Figure 1B).
Figure 1

Length distribution of redundant and unique sRNA sequences.

The length distribution of redundant and unique sRNAs in ZP03-5373 (a) and ZP03-5413 (b). The 21-nt of redundant is the predominant sRNA species and the 24-nt of unique is the most abundant.

Length distribution of redundant and unique sRNA sequences.

The length distribution of redundant and unique sRNAs in ZP03-5373 (a) and ZP03-5413 (b). The 21-nt of redundant is the predominant sRNA species and the 24-nt of unique is the most abundant.

Conserved and less-conserved miRNA families and their expression in soybean root

The reads (3 million) that mapped perfectly to the soybean genome were subjected to miRNA identification. miRBase 20.0, which contains 555 soybean mature miRNAs, was searched for known soybean miRNAs. As a result, a total of 420 known soybean mature miRNAs were identified from the two libraries, of which 364 were sequenced in both libraries; 26 miRNAs were detected in only ZP03-5373 and 30 in only ZP03-5413 (Table S2). Expression levels of the known miRNAs, as reflected by normalized reads (reads per million genome-matched reads, RPM), varied substantially among families in both lines. The highest read abundance (31,416 RPM and 20,776 RPM) was detected for gma-miR159, and was 2–25-fold greater than other relatively abundant miRNA families, including gma-miR396, gma-156, miR168, and miR166, whose total abundance ranged from 1,000 to 15,000 RPM (Table S2). Gma-miR862a was expressed in ZP03-5413 but not in ZP03-5373 (Table S2). Substantial variation was observed for gma-miR393, gma-miR398 and gma-miR399, whose abundance in ZP03-5373 was 10-fold greater than in ZP03-5413 (Table S2). After excluding sRNA reads that perfectly matched known soybean miRNAs, the remaining 21 to 22 nt were subjected to rigorous secondary structural analysis of their precursors using RNAfold software (http://mfold.rna.albany.edu/). The minimum free energy (MFE) of the hairpin structure of the miRNA precursor was set to less than −25 kcal/mol. Those precursors with a canonical stem-loop structure were further analyzed by means of a series of stringent filter strategies to ensure that they met common criteria [37]. Precursors carrying both the miRNA-5p and miRNA miRNA-3p were then selected for further analysis. A total of 258 new soybean miRNA candidates that were not previously reported, including miRNA-5p and miRNA-3p, were identified from the two libraries, of which 132 were sequenced in both libraries. Eighty-seven miRNAs were detected in only ZP03-5373 and 39 in only ZP03-5413. Novel miRNA candidates were further assigned to miRNA families using sequences similar to other known miRNAs in the miRBase database (two or fewer mismatches). These miRNAs or families had been reported previously in some plant species or families, but are not conserved among angiosperm and coniferophyta lineages [26]. They were referred to as less-conserved miRNAs in this study. A total of 71 miRNAs-miRNAs* counterparts belonging to 32 families derived from 91 loci (Table 1 and Figure S1), that had previously been identified and reported in at least one plant species or family [11] were identified from the 258 miRNA candidates. A canonical predicted stem-loop structure could be identified in all 32 less-conserved miRNA families (Figure S1). Overall, all less-conserved miRNAs displayed lower expression levels than the conserved miRNAs, with the exception of gma-miR482C2, which was expressed at abundances of 4,000 RPM and 8,000 RPM in ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413, respectively (Table 1). However, as with the conserved miRNAs, some of the less-conserved miRNAs were expressed differentially between ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413. For example, ZP03-5413-biased expression was observed for gma-miR395C1, while ZP03-5373-biased expression was apparent for gma-miR393C1 and gma-miR2109C1 (Table 1). To validate the miRNA RPM data, we performed stem-stoop-based qRT-PCR analysis for selected miRNAs representing conserved, less-conserved and soybean-specific (discussed below) examples in the two lines. We found that while the qRT-PCR results for most of the miRNAs (miR1509a, miR1509b, miR2111 (Figure 2A) and miR395C1 (Figure 2B), miRC2, miRC6, miRC20 (Figure 2C), etc.) were reflective of the relative abundances of the sequenced RNAs in the two lines, others displayed varying degrees of divergence between the two analyses. For example, the miRC18 RPM value for ZP03-5373 was fourfold higher than for miRC10, while the abundances of miRC18 and miRC10 were in agreement, based on qRT-PCR results (Figure 2C). For miR482C2 the opposite pattern between qRT-PCR and miRNA sequencing was observed (Figure S2), which may have resulted from deep-sequencing deviation.
Table 1

New members of conserved and less-conserved soybean miRNAs.

Precursor position53735413
NamemiRNA-5p sequencentLocusStrmiRNA-3p sequencentstartendE a re b re c E d re e re f
gma-miR156C1 ctgacagaagatagagagcac21Gm18-gctctctagtcttctgtca196144258161442703002662
gma-miR156C2 gtgacagaagagagtgagcac21Gm04+gctcactctctatctgtcacc21425705542571674109351
gma-miR156C3 tgacagaagagagtgagcaca21Gm17-gctcacttctctatctgtcagc22614995361500851520662268
gma-miR156C4 tgacagaagagagtgagcaca21Gm02+gctcacttctctatctgtcagc224186416341864265
gma-miR156C5 tgacagaagagagtgagcaca21Gm06-gctcacttctctttctgtcaac22469913646992581541030308
gma-miR156C6 tgacagaagagagtgagcaca21Gm04+gctcacttctctttctgtcaac2249908454990967
gma-miR156C7 gtgacagaagagagtgagcac21Gm14+gctcattctctatctgtcacc2194315969431718417063402
gma-miR156C8 gtgacagaagagagtgagcac21Gm17-gctcattctctatctgtcacc2142916524291764
gma-miR156C9 gtgacagaagagagtgagcac21Gm17-gcttactctctatctgtcacc2138431865384319779493206
gma-miR156C10 atgacagaagagagtgagcac21Gm06+gcttactctctatctgtcatc2140135684013680639112817
gma-miR157C1 acagaagatagagagcacaga21Gm07+gctctctaagcttctgtcatc2193471219347273449435
gma-miR157C2 acagaagatagagagcacaga21Gm09-gctctctaggcttctgtcatc2137843733378438858
gma-miR157C3 acagaagatagagagcacaga21Gm05-gctctctatacttctgtcatc21386216823862181413341094
gma-miR157C4 acagaagatagagagcacaga21Gm02+tgctctctagtcttcttgtcatc237812528781263022
gma-miR157C5 ctgacagaagatagagagcac21Gm18-gctctctagtcttctgtcatc2161442581614427031227600
gma-miR159C1 agctgcttagctatggatccca22Gm09+cttccatatctggggagcttc21376724013767259312240100
gma-miR159C2 agctgcttagctatggatccca22Gm07-cttccatatctggggagcttc219524917952512900
gma-miR160C1 gtgcctggctccctgtatgcc21Gm19-cgtgcgaggagccatgcatg204379594543796047152300
gma-miR160C2 tgcctggctccctgaatgcca21Gm15-gcatgaggggagtcatgcagg21954716595472974362715615
gma-miR162C1 tggaggcagcggttcatcgat21Gm05-tcgataaacctctgcatccagc22769258676927086221639
gma-miR162C2 tggaggcagcggttcatcgatc22Gm17+tcgataaacctctgcatccagc22101814861018160816
gma-miR162C3 ggatgcagcggttcatcgatc21Gm06-ggatgcagcggttcatcgatc21201762372017633940211
gma-miR164C1 tggagaagcagggcacatgct21Gm07+cttgtgtcctacttctccagc213508920350900224200
gma-miR166C1 ggaatggtgtctggttcgaga21Gm20-tcggaccaggcttcattccccc22431053884310550011044869
gma-miR166C2 ggaatggtgtctggttcgaga21Gm10+tcggaccaggcttcattccccc224124336241243474
gma-miR166C3 aatgttgtttggctcgaggta21Gm08+ctcggaccaggcttcattccc22149905281499075031800
gma-miR166C4 ggaatgttgtctggctcgagga22Gm16-tcggaccaggcttcattccccc221912569191272174400
gma-miR167C1 tgaagctgccagcatgatctta22Gm10-agatcatgtggcagtttcacc21465742504657436214054474415
gma-miR167C2 tgaagctgccagcatgatctta22Gm20+agatcatgtggcagtttcacc213790189237902004
gma-miR168C1 ttcgcttggtgcaggtcgggaa22Gm09-cccgccttgcatcaactgaat21413532254135334729814385
gma-miR168C2 ttcgcttggtgcaggtcgggaa22Gm01-cccgccttgcatcaactgaat214807030248070424
gma-miR169C1 agccaaggatgacttgccggc21Gm09+ggcaagttgtgtttggctat20357717813577194331722374
gma-miR169C2 agccaaggatgacttgccggc21Gm10-ggcaagttggccttggctat2040332783403329352200
gma-miR169C3 agccaaggatgacttgccggc21Gm15+ccggcgagacatcttggctca211419116414191316165
gma-miR169C4 agccaaggatgacttgccggc21Gm09+ccggcgagacatcttggctca2152821055282217165
gma-miR169C5 agccaaggatgacttgccggc21Gm09+ggcaggttatcctgtggctac2152995625299754900
gma-miR169C6 agccaaggatgacttgccggc21Gm15+agcgagacatccttgttcact2114194104141942267525
gma-miR169C7 agccaaggatgacttgccggc21Gm15+ggtgagacatcttgactcact211418849914188621002
gma-miR169C8 agccaagggtgatttgccggc21Gm15+ggcaagtttctcttggctac201415005414150196003328
gma-miR171C1 tgttggaacagttcaatcaaa21Gm08-tgattgagccgtgccaatatca229217889219006023618
gma-miR171C2 tgttggcttggctcaatcaaa21Gm16-tgattgagccgtgccaatatca22534784153479330017
gma-miR171C3 agatattggtacggttcaatc21Gm15-ttgagccgtgccaatatcacat2284641038464215188400
gma-miR171C4 agatattggtacggttcaatc21Gm13+ttgagccgtgccaatatcacat22306507873065089900
gma-miR172C1 ggagcatcatcaagattcaca21Gm18+gggaatcttgatgatgctgca212968997296912900415
gma-miR172C2 ggagcatcatcaagattcaca21Gm14+gggaatcttgatgatgctgca215548763554889500
gma-miR172C1 gtagcatcatcaagattcaca21Gm13-gagaatcttgatgatgctgcat224040167340401825168200
gma-miR172C3 cagcagcatcaagattcacac21Gm10+tgagaatcttgatgatgctgc214347472943474831241320
gma-miR172C4 cagcagcatcaagattcacac21Gm20-tgagaatcttgatgatgctgc214089573840895850
gma-miR172C5 gcagcaccatcaagattcaca21Gm10-tgagaatcttgatgatgctgc2131592562315927043
gma-miR319C1 agagcttccttcagtccactc21Gm14+ttggactgaagggagctccctc22479593474795954999221276
gma-miR319C2 agagcttccttcagtccactc21Gm02+ttggactgaagggagctccctc224570422445704416
gma-miR319C3 agagcttccttcagtccactc21Gm18-ttggactgaagggagctccctt2242788674279079501216121207
gma-miR319C4 agagcttccttcagtccactc21Gm11+ttggactgaagggagctccctt223290205332902265
gma-miR319C5 agagctttcttcagtccactc21Gm05+ttggactgaagggagctccctt224083209040832292315
gma-miR319C6 agagctttcttcagtccactt21Gm08-ttggactgaagggagctccctt2216477971647999272
gma-miR319C7 agagctctcttcagcccactca22Gm11+ttggactgaagggagctccctt221374016137420857
gma-miR390C1 aaagctcaggagggatagcgcc22Gm18+cgctacccatcctgagtttca215327803353278165319715
gma-miR390C2 aaagctcaggagggatagcgcc22Gm03-aaagctcaggagggatagcgcc2265581806558282898306
gma-miR390C3 aaagctcaggagggatagcgcc22Gm01+aaagctcaggagggatagcgcc224233560242335724
gma-miR390C4 aaagctcaggagggatagcgcc22Gm18-cgctatctatcctgagtttca2150477635047875537362
gma-miR390C5 aaagctcaggagggatagcgcc22Gm11+cgctatctatcctgagtttca213027275230272864
gma-miR390C6 aagctcaggagggatagcacca22Gm02+cgctatctatcttgagcttca21449547474495485953400
gma-miR393C1 tccaaagggatcgcattgatct22Gm16+tcatgcgatcccttaggaact2133891068338912303323285569
gma-miR395C1gtttccctgaacacttcatt20Gm02-tgaagtgtttgggggaactcc2117234441723546001136
gma-miR395C2agttcctctgaatgcttcata21Gm02+tgaagtgtttgggggaactcc211730681173079300160
gma-miR395C3gttccccttaatgcttcattg21Gm08+tgaagtgtttgggggaactcc2140840211408403330090
gma-miR395C4agttcctctgaacgcttcat20Gm01-tgaagtgtttgggggaactcc21481325648133880020
gma-miR395C5gttccctcgaacacttcaacg21Gm18-ctgaagtgtttgggggaaccc21163160601631618200208
gma-miR395C6gttcctcttaacgcttcattg21Gm18-ctgaagtgtttgggggagctt211630507816305190222201270
gma-miR399C1gtgcaattctcctttggcagg21Gm15+tgccaaaggagaattgccctg216547375654749771400
gma-miR399C2gggcatgtctcttttggcagg21Gm16+tgccaaaggagagctgccctg213560664835606790692373289
gma-miR399C3tgccaaaggagatttgccctg21Gm05+gagcaaatctccagtggcaga2134951411349515231531900
gma-miR399C4tgccaaaggagatttgccctg21Gm08+gagcaaatctccattggcagt21911431091144223100
gma-miR399C5gggctcctctctcctggcatg21Gm20-tgccaagggagagttgccctg213824802738248139126300
gma-miR399C6gggctcctctctcctggcatg21Gm10+tgccaagggagagttgccctt2146279386462794984000
gma-miR399C7gggcttctctttattggcagg21Gm20-ttgccaaaggagagttgccctg2238251187382512795371400
gma-miR399C8gggcttctctttattggcagg21Gm10+ttgccaaaggagagttgccctg22462753134627540500
gma-miR408C1ctgggaacaggcagggcacga21Gm03-atgcactgcctcttccctggct22446266894462684138312251
gma-miR479C1cgtgatattggtacggctcatc22Gm06-cgagccgaatcaatatcactct221085960410859716185101333
gma-miR479C2cgtgatattggtacggctcatc22Gm04+cgagccgaatcaatatcactct224698856746988679
gma-miR482C1ggaatgggctgattgggaagt21Gm18-tcccaattccgcccattcctatga2461452891614530231010327202
gma-miR482C2ggaatgggctgattgggaagc21Gm02+tcccaattccgcccattcctatga2477837957783937324433524972
gma-miR862C1tccctcaaaggcttccagtat21Gm08+gctggatgtctttgaaggaac214685388746854009116185372
gma-miR1509C1ttaatcaaggaaatcacggttg22Gm05-actgtgtttccttggttaaag21777409777742092642939783727
gma-miR1510C1gagggataggtaaaacaactact23Gm02+tgttgttttacctattccacca2165992886599400219154337
gma-miR1514C1ttcatttttaaaataggcattg22Gm07-atgcctattttaaaatgaaaa21431757894317593110383249419
gma-miR1514C2attcccctgaccacttcatta21Gm01-ttgaagtgttttggggaactc214760437476054900239
gma-miR2109C1tgcgagtgtcttcgcctctga21Gm04-ggaggcgtagatactcacacc21285324412853254321019994341879027
gma-miR2118C1gggagatgggagggtcggtaaa22Gm10-ttgccgattccacccattccta224857399148574163172903528825
gma-miR3522C1tgagaccaaatgagcagctga21Gm15+agctgctcatctgttctcagg214318762431889435923407602207
gma-miR4416C1tgggtgagagaaacacgtatt21Gm02-acgggtcgctctcacctggag21304989473049912994200
gma-miR5037C1cctcaaaggcttccactactt21Gm18-tggtggaactttgaggctt19616315196163162155200
gma-miR5044C1cctcaaaggcttccactactgcat24Gm08+gtagtggatgcctggaggtcc21468380004683812223638264

Bold means conserved miRNAs and no bold means less-conserved miRNAs; Ea(•): the miRNAs in ZP03-5373;reb: miRNA-5P reads of 5373(normalized reads per million reads,RPM); rec: miRNA-3P reads of 5373 (RPM); Ed(▴): the miRNAs in ZP03-5413;ree: miRNA-5P reads of 5413 (RPM);ref: miRNA-3P reads of 5413 (RPM). Empty apace means the same number with the previous row.

Figure 2

Expression levels of gma-miRNAs by two methods.

Profile of sequencing frequencies for gma-miRNAs (left column of A, B and C); Profile of qRT-PCR Ct values for gma-miRNAs (right column of A, B and C).

Expression levels of gma-miRNAs by two methods.

Profile of sequencing frequencies for gma-miRNAs (left column of A, B and C); Profile of qRT-PCR Ct values for gma-miRNAs (right column of A, B and C). Bold means conserved miRNAs and no bold means less-conserved miRNAs; Ea(•): the miRNAs in ZP03-5373;reb: miRNA-5P reads of 5373(normalized reads per million reads,RPM); rec: miRNA-3P reads of 5373 (RPM); Ed(▴): the miRNAs in ZP03-5413;ree: miRNA-5P reads of 5413 (RPM);ref: miRNA-3P reads of 5413 (RPM). Empty apace means the same number with the previous row.

Prediction and validation of novel soybean-specific miRNAs

Because numerous species-specific miRNAs considered to be of a more recent evolutionary origin [11] have been identified in other species, soybean is likely to have evolved unique miRNAs. After excluding sRNA reads homologous to known miRNAs or families (two or fewer mismatches, miRBase 20), the remaining 21–22-nt sRNAs were subjected to rigorous secondary structural analysis of their precursors using the RNAfold software (http://mfold.rna.albany.edu/). Those precursors with a canonical stem-loop structure were further analyzed by means of a series of stringent filter strategies to ensure that they met the criteria established by the research community [37]. A total of 74 miRNA family candidates derived from 88 loci (Table 2 and Figure S3) met the screening criteria, of which all had miRNA star (miRNA*) sequences identified from the same libraries. We termed these soybean-specific miRNAs. Of the 88 soybean-specific miRNAs, 75 belonged to the 21-nt class and 13 to the 22-nt class (Table 2 and Figure S2). In general, the soybean-specific miRNAs were less abundant than the conserved and less-conserved miRNAs in the two lines examined. For example, only gma-miRC20 displayed a read abundance above 600 RPM in ZP03-5373, while 50% of the 88 miRNA family candidates yielded levels below 10 RPM (Table 2). This low level of expression was confirmed by stem-loop qRT-PCR analysis. (Figure 2C). As reported above for conserved miRNAs, the RPM values of some soybean-specific miRNAs corresponded to their relative abundance determined by miRNA qRT-PCR (gma-miR2 and gma-miR20, etc.), but several exhibited divergence (e.g., gma-miRC4, gma-miRC14 and gma-miRC32 (Figure 2C and Figure S2)).
Table 2

Candidate soybean-specific miRNAs.

Precursor position53735413
NamemiRNA-5p sequencentLocusStrmiRNA-3p sequencentstartendEa Reb Rec Ed Ree Ref
gma-miRC1aaagatggtgctgacgtcgac21Gm01+tgatgtcagcaccgtctttga21550638455065362100
gma-miRC2aaatcatgactttctcttgta21Gm20-tatgagagaaagccatgactt212236752237672571600
gma-miRC3actctccctcaagggcttctcg21Gm08+tagaggcccttggggaggagta22177138717714890030
gma-miRC4actgctattcccatttctaaa21Gm16+tagaaagggaaatagcagttga22329037243290383611200
gma-miRC5agagatgtatggagtgagaga21Gm17+tctcattccatacatcgtctgac23619058461907161015841
gma-miRC6agaggtgtatggagtgagaga21Gm13+tctcattccatacatcgtctgac232584976825849890270500
gma-miRC7agccaagggtgatttgccggc21Gm15+cggcaagtttctcttggctac2114150045141502077100
gma-miRC8aagtgttgctaacagagttta21Gm17+agctctgttggctacactttg21417837434178390511821114
gma-miRC9aggagcttccctcagcccatt21Gm14-tggactgaagggagctccttct2245953431459536530021
gma-miRC10atacatatcgtgttgccaagc21Gm13+aaggcagaacgatatgtacgcaga24413583174135847917100
gma-miRC11aatgttgtttggctcgaggta21Gm08+atctcggaccaggcttcattcc2214990538149907400002
gma-miRC12cagctacatgttttaccatct21Gm14-atggtgatacatgtagttgca216304109630438111100
gma-miRC13attagaaatcacctattttga21Gm15+aaaattggtggtttccaataa2142969095429692372000
gma-miRC14attagctaattcgtagaagct21Gm10-catctacaaattagctaatgg2110090333100904650061
gma-miRC15attgacagaagagagtgagcac22Gm14-gctcaccactctttctgtcggtt2310664497106646094182
gma-miRC16attagctaatttgtagaagtt21Gm08-catctacaaattagctaatgg21221817122182931200
gma-miRC17attagctaatttgtagaagtt21Gm13+catctacaaattagctaatgg216220748622084000
gma-miRC18gggaagacatgggtatggggg21Gm10-cccataccactgtttttcctc21485696024856975418100
gma-miRC19cctaactgaaaattcttaaagt21Gm18+tttaagaatttcagttatgca21608195676081965932500
gma-miRC20agaggtgtttgggatgagaga21Gm09-cctcattccaaacatcatctaa2216565915165660376463552426
gma-miRC21aatcaaggaaatcacggtcgcg22Gm17+cgaccgtgtttccttggttaa211009975310099885362174
gma-miRC22agccaaggatgacttgccgga21Gm17-cggcaagtaatctttggctgc21486415548642971113
gma-miRC23gtgcctggctccctgtatgcc21Gm03-cgtgcgaggagccatgcatgc2141268398412685100015
gma-miRC24tctgcatcctgaggtttagag21Gm18-ctaatccttgggatgcagatt2149962676499627782200
gma-miRC25ctaatctgcatcctgaggttt21Gm07-tccttgggatgcagattatct2116402343164024454100
gma-miRC26ctatacaactatacatggatg21Gm02-ttcatgtatgattgtatgtct21745534274555042100
gma-miRC27acaaagcccccgagtgaagaa21Gm19+ctccactcgaggactttgtcc2141390254413903860214
gma-miRC28cttagattttgggttttggtc21Gm04+cccaaactcaaattctaagaa21750515075052522000
gma-miRC29gcaccaatccgtggttcttcct21Gm18+gaagagccacagattggtgctg2217786331177865231100
gma-miRC30gaatgttgtctggctcgagga21Gm16-gtcggaccaggcttcattccc21191256919127210031
gma-miRC31gagctttatggatcacctgat21Gm01-caggtgattcgtaaaactcac21557815895578169115200
gma-miRC32gagttccctgcactccaagtct22Gm16-attggagtgaagggagctccaga232794127279430980000
gma-miRC33ccaaagggatcgcattgatccc22Gm11+gatcatgctatccctttggat213656751036567642296375
gma-miRC34ccaaagggatcgcattgatccc22Gm18-gatcatgctatccctttggat21240973824098600000
gma-miRC35ccaaagggatcgcattgatccc22Gm02-gatcatgctatccctttggat2147136196471363280000
gma-miRC36acagaagatagagagcacaga21Gm09-gctctctaggcttctgtcatcc22378437333784388561200
gma-miRC37tgccaagtaaatgtgaaaagta21Gm20-gcttttctatttattgtggca2146584855465849870002
gma-miRC38ggccaaacctaaaagattcca21Gm08+gaaactcttaagtttggcctt211313060813130690412300
gma-miRC39agaggcctgattccatagccat22Gm05+ggctctgtgaatctgtctccga2235743158357433200200
gma-miRC40gggaaggcatgggtatggggg21Gm20+cccataccactgtttttcctc2135360269353604411338112744
gma-miRC41gggcacctctctcctggcagg21Gm09+ttgccaaaggagagttgccctg2234181516341816384200
gma-miRC42gggcacctctctcctggcagg21Gm16+ttgccaaaggagagttgccctg22356125043561261600
gma-miRC43ggttcgtgcgtgaatctaatc21Gm10+ttagattcacgcacaaacttgt22108522610853281000
gma-miRC44gtggtatcaggtcctgcttca21Gm18+aaccaggctctgataccatgg21211612312116133335315537
gma-miRC45gttccccttaatgcttcattg21Gm08+actgaagtgtttgggggaact2140840221408403132000
gma-miRC46atcagtagcatcatcatcaaa21Gm07+gtttgatgatgatgttaccga21100045061000462811200
gma-miRC47atcagtagcatcatcatcaaa21Gm14+gtttgatgatgatgttaccga2113818986138191080000
gma-miRC48atcagtagcatcatcatcaaa21Gm07+gtttgatgatgatgttaccga2110001904100020060000
gma-miRC49gtttgtaaatcatgactttct21Gm20-gaaagccatgacttacacacgc2222367522376700402
gma-miRC50taagacggtaatgtccccaaa21Gm12+tggggacataaccgtcttaga2125767259257673612121
gma-miRC51tagatcaatagagcttaagag21Gm05-cgtaagctctattgatctatt2132896903328970650041
gma-miRC52tatgagagaaagccatgactt21Gm17-gtcatggcattatctcatatc211401425140152716100
gma-miRC53tcaatctgaatacatgactatt22Gm13-cagccatgtactttgattgagc2239325490393256020061
gma-miRC54tcacgcctaatcactgacgca21Gm03+tgttagtgataaggcgtgatgatg24251868062518704811100
gma-miRC55tcattgagtgcagcgttgatga22Gm08-atcgacactgcactcaatcatg22463902746391698151
gma-miRC56gaacgatttgatggtttggaat22Gm13-tcccaagcaacgagtcttcggt222155583215566500013
gma-miRC57gaacgatttgatggtttggaat22Gm08+tcccaagcaacgagtcttcggt2214019990140200720000
gma-miRC58tctccctcaagggcttctcgct22Gm08+ctagaggcccttggggaggagt221771404177148615300
gma-miRC59tctcttgggtgcattgtaatt21Gm01-ttacaaatgcacgcaagaaatc2239527403395275053000
gma-miRC60agacatcaccacaaacaagtc22Gm19+tcttgtttgtggtgatgtctag22437868124378691411614
gma-miRC61tgaaaaattcatggatcagtt21Gm08-atcctaggacttttcatcttc2127936700279368024100
gma-miRC62agttcctctgaacgcttcatg21Gm01-tgaagtgtttgggggaactct2148108124810944103310128
gma-miRC63agttcctctgaacgcttcatg21Gm02+tgaagtgtttgggggaactct2117363371736459
gma-miRC64agttcctctgaacgcttcatg21Gm02+tgaagtgtttgggggaactct2117505821750684
gma-miRC65agttcctctgaacgcttcatg21Gm01-tgaagtgtttgggggaactct2147978994798021
gma-miRC66tgagctaaggatgacttgccgg22Gm09+agcaagacatcctttctcact21528790252880045000
gma-miRC67ggttagctcaaggatctcaca21Gm16+tgatatccttgagctaataca2135590506355907183436
gma-miRC68tgaaaaattcatggatcagt21Gm01-tgatccaggaacttttcatct2124948431249485331817
gma-miRC69tgcctcaatctgaatacatga21Gm13-atgtactttgattgagccgcg2139325490393256026000
gma-miRC70tgcgggtatctttgcctctga21Gm04-agtggcgtagatccccacaaca222857895928579081300251
gma-miRC71aactggaaattcttaaagcatt21Gm02-tgctttaagaatttcagttat218618676861878802512
gma-miRC72tatcttggatcacagccccattg21Gm18+tggggcttgatccaagatagg21104139391041403109472
gma-miRC73tgttggcttggctcaatcaaa21Gm16-tgattgagccgtgccaatatca22534784153479337000
gma-miRC74tgttgtaagcacatctgagtc21Gm16-ctcagttgtacttacaacaca2131233995312341172051
gma-miRC75ttaaagtgcttcactttgtgg21Gm04+acaaagtgaagcactctaaca2186930386940500300
gma-miRC76ttaaggtattggcgtgcctca21Gm12+agccgcgtcaatatcttattt21354890853548919714031
gma-miRC77ttagcttctttcacctttccc21Gm17-gtgagaggtgaaggaagctaa2114170501141706230800
gma-miRC78ttcatttttaaaatagacattg22Gm17+atgcctattttaaaatgaaaa2114976041497836394353
gma-miRC79atgttggtgaggttcaatccga22Gm13+ttgagccgcgccaatatcactt2226271133262712451813
gma-miRC80atgttggtgaggttcaatccga22Gm17-ttgagccgcgccaatatcactt2291016889101800
gma-miRC81tggagggataggtaaaacaatg22Gm16+ttgttttacctattccacccat22315188963151900816941848
gma-miRC82tttaatgaaatgttttctgtt21Gm08-tagaaaacatttccttaaacc2110928837109290890071
gma-miRC83tttatcagtagcatcatcatc21Gm07+tgatgatgttaccgataatga21100019041000200600100
gma-miRC84taaccattcattttcatgaaa21Gm04-tttcaagaaaatgaatggtga21577144557715370015
gma-miRC85aatgtcgtttggttcgagatc21Gm10-tttcggaccaggcttcattcc21290531129054234114261
gma-miRC86gaatgttgtctggctcgagga21Gm07-tttcggaccaggcttcattcc214453642445379413
gma-miRC87aatgtcgtctggttcgagacc21Gm02+tttcggaccaggcttcattcc21143407631434087540
gma-miRC88tttattgaaaatcacaaatta21Gm18+tttgtgattttcaataaatta2161878800618789122814

Ea(•): the miRNAs in ZP03-5373;reb: miRNA-5P reads of 5373 (RPM); rec: miRNA-3P reads of 5373 (RPM); Ed(▴): the miRNAs in ZP03-5413;ree: miRNA-5P reads of 5413 (RPM);ref: miRNA-3P reads of 5413 (RPM). Empty apace means the same number with the previous row.

Ea(•): the miRNAs in ZP03-5373;reb: miRNA-5P reads of 5373 (RPM); rec: miRNA-3P reads of 5373 (RPM); Ed(▴): the miRNAs in ZP03-5413;ree: miRNA-5P reads of 5413 (RPM);ref: miRNA-3P reads of 5413 (RPM). Empty apace means the same number with the previous row.

Identification of the targets of miRNAs by degradome analysis

To identify the targets of the conserved and soybean-specific miRNAs reported here, we performed degradome sequencing to generate a total of 12.8 million short reads representing the 5′ ends of uncapped, poly-adenylated RNAs. About 77.66% of the unique reads were perfectly aligned to the soybean genome (Soybean Genome V9.0, http://www.phytozome.net/search.php). These reads were subsequently screened and analyzed using the Cleaveland 3.0 software [38]. A total of 42 targets in five categories (0 to 4) were identified (Table 3 and Figure S4), with 42 targets for 76 conserved and soybean-specific miRNAs belonging to 21 families (Table 3 and Figure S4).
Table 3

Identification of soybean miRNAs targets using the degradome.

miRNATargetCsa Cb P-valueLocationTarget gene annotation
Targets for known miRNAs
gma-miR1508aGlyma16g27802.134710.02CDSPPR superfamily protein
gma-miR1510a-3pGlyma15g37255.274300.01CDSTIR-NBS-LRR class
Glyma15g37276.390130.02CDSAuxin signaling F-box
gma-miR156c/d/e/i/j/l/mGlyma04g32002.1193700.023′-UTRSBP dom ain containing protein
Glyma11g36980.6124300.01CDSSBP domain containing protein
Glyma01g08056.1140830.04CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miR156fGlyma04g32002.1193700.023′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma03g29901.1114930.053′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma11g36980.6124300.02CDSSBP domain containing protein
Glyma18g36960.190230.05CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miR156k/n/oGlyma04g32002.1193700.023′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma11g36980.6124300.01CDSSBP domain containing protein
Glyma01g08056.1140830.05CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miR156p/r/tGlyma04g32002.1193700.023′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma11g36980.6124300.01CDSSBP domain containing protein
Glyma01g08056.1140830.02CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miR164a/e/f/g/h/i/j/kGlyma15g40510.173420.01CDSNAC domain containing protein
gma-miR164b/c/d73420.02NAC domain containing protein
gma-miR169o/rGlyma07g01870.1132810.033′-UTRFlavonol synthase/flavanone 3-hydroxylase-like
gma-miR169pGlyma03g36140.5156930.023′-UTRNuclear transcription factor Y
Glyma08g45030.1140700.013′-UTRNuclear transcription factor Y
gma-miR171c/i-3p/o/qGlyma06g11610.238030.02CDSGRAS family transcription factor
gma-miR171k-3pGlyma06g11610.238030.04CDSGRAS family transcription factor
Glyma13g02840.156530.03CDSNodulation-signaling pathway 2protein-like
gma-miR319a/b/eGlyma08g10350.1213030.043′-UTRTranscription factor TCP2-like
Glyma05g27367.3206330.043′-UTRTranscription factor TCP2-like
gma-miR319h/j/k/mGlyma08g10350.1213030.043′-UTRTranscription factor TCP2-like
Glyma05g27367.3206330.043′-UTRTranscription factor TCP2-like
gma-miR393aGlyma02g17170.2174100.01CDSF-box/RNI-like superfamily protein
gma-miR393c/d/e/f/g/Glyma02g17170.2174100.01CDSF-box/RNI-like superfamily protein
gma-miR393h/i/i/kGlyma19g27280.1224730.013′-UTRAuxin signaling F-box
Glyma02g43980.526830.04CDSRibosomal protein L20
gma-miR408a/b/c-3pGlyma07g13840.188500.003′-UTRStellacyanin-like
Glyma04g42120.13310.02CDSPlantacyanin
gma-miR4354Glyma01g37690.240210.01CDSUncharacterized
gma-miR5770aGlyma01g07860.123510.03CDSCopper amine oxidase family protein
gma-miR5770bGlyma01g07860.123510.05CDSCopper amine oxidase family protein
Targets for conserved miRNA candidates
gma-miR1510C1Glyma02g08415.19730.01CDSUncharacterized
Glyma16g27510.121410.033′-UTRUncharacterized
gma-miR1514C1Glyma07g01730.289010.043′-UTRUncharacterized
gma-miR156C1Glyma04g32002.1193700.033′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma11g36980.6124300.02CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miR156C2Glyma04g32002.1193700.033′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma11g36980.6124300.02CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miR156C10Glyma04g32002.1193700.033′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma11g36980.6124300.02CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miR157C1Glyma17g18640.1197430.023′-UTRIntegrase-type DNA-binding superfamily protein
Glyma10g22390.2164700.033′-UTRERF RAP2–7-like
gma-miR164C1Glyma15g40510.173420.01CDSNAC domain containing protein
gma-miR167C1Glyma10g22390.2164700.003′-UTRERF RAP2–7-like
gma-miR169C6Glyma08g14700.122710.02CDSSulfate transporter
gma-miR171C3Glyma08g10360.119200.01CDSF-box family protein
Glyma10g22790.220100.00CDSF-box family protein
gma-miR172C3Glyma14g37730.1130730.01CDSUDP-Glycosyltransferase superfamily protein
gma-miR393C1Glyma02g17170.2174100.01CDSF-box/RNI-like superfamily protein
Targets for soybean-specific miRNA candidates
gma-miRC15Glyma01g08056.1140930.04CDSSBP domain containing protein
Glyma18g00903.1243800.013′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma16g05895.2155700.023′-UTRSBP domain containing protein
Glyma02g13371.2140030.04CDSSBP domain containing protein
gma-miRC23Glyma10g35481.1161000.01CDSAuxin response factor
gma-miRC26Glyma13g34690.295330.04CDSTranscription factor TCP like
Glyma08g10350.1213030.043′-UTRTranscription factor TCP2-like
Glyma05g27367.3206330.043′-UTRTranscription factor TCP2-like
gma-miRC33Glyma16g05500.1230330.013′-UTRAuxin signaling F-box
gma-miRC61Glyma06g11610.238030.03CDSGRAS family transcription factor
Glyma01g38360.183510.02CDSGRAS family transcription factor
gma-miRC83Glyma07g13840.188500.003′-UTRStellacyanin-like
Glyma04g42120.13310.05CDSPlantacyanin

Cleavage site; bCategory 0: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is equal to the maximum on the transcript and there is only one maximum on the transcript. Category 1: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is equal to the maximum on the transcript, and there is more than one maximum position on the transcript. Category 2: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is less than the maximum but higher than the median for the transcript. Category 3: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is equal to or less than the median for the transcript. Category 4: only one raw read at the position. P-value should not exceed 0.05.

Cleavage site; bCategory 0: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is equal to the maximum on the transcript and there is only one maximum on the transcript. Category 1: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is equal to the maximum on the transcript, and there is more than one maximum position on the transcript. Category 2: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is less than the maximum but higher than the median for the transcript. Category 3: >1 raw read at the position, abundance at position is equal to or less than the median for the transcript. Category 4: only one raw read at the position. P-value should not exceed 0.05. Among these targets for the conserved miRNA families, eight fell into category 0, which represented the most abundant degradome tags corresponding to the cleavage site and matching cognate transcripts, and one of them into category 2, whose cleavage abundance was higher than the median but below the maximum. The number of identified gene targets varied among the miRNAs, from one to four (Table 3). However, miRNAs that targeted members of a gene family usually had more targets. For example, miR156 could target four members of the squamosa promoter-binding-like protein family (Table 3). Although most of the genes (36 of 42) identified were the conserved targets of these miRNAs across a wide range of plant species, some (6 of 42) had not previously been reported in other species. For example, miR169, which is known to target NF-YA (nuclear factor-Y subunit alpha) in other species, was found to target the genes encoding flavonol synthase and sulfate transporter. Similarly, miR393, which exclusively targeted mRNAs for the F-box auxin receptors TIR1 (Transport Inhibitor Response Protein 1), and several members of auxin signaling F-box protein, the growth regulating factor (AFB) gene family in plants also targeted the ribosomal protein L20 gene (Table 3). It was noted that a few identified soybean-specific gene targets fell into category 4, a low-confidence group, and so should be further validated experimentally. Therefore, the targets falling into category 4 were not listed in the results. Gene targets were also identified for six soybean-specific miRNAs. Of the 13 gene targets identified, 4 belonged to category 0 and 2 to category 1, while the remainder was classified into category 3 (Table 3). The soybean-specific miRNAs, like the conserved miRNAs, targeted genes of diverse functions. For example, gma-miRC23 targeted the gene encoding the auxin response factor, while gma-miRC33 targeted the gene encoding auxin-signaling F-box. Gma-miRC26 and gma-miRC61 each targeted members of gene families that encode the transcription factor TCP and the GRAS family transcription factor, respectively. Furthermore, gma-miRC15 targeted up to four members of the SBP-domain-containing-protein gene families. Hence, these soybean-specific miRNAs may be involved in the regulation of an array of metabolic and biological processes and signaling pathways.

miRNAs triggered secondary siRNAs biogenesis pathway in soybean root

TAS transcripts are directed by miRNAs to produce tasiRNAs, which then guide the cleavage of other transcripts. To date, four TAS gene families have been characterized in Arabidopsis, of which the miR390-TAS3 and miR828-TAS4 pathways are conserved in plants [39], [40]. Here we identified TAS3 soybean orthologous genes (Glyma09g03731.1 and Glyma15g14675.1), together with their corresponding trigger miRNAs-miR390. These two genes also contained two complementary sites for gma-miR390, and the signatures were detected only at the 3′ target site (Figure S5). We also found similar siRNA biogenesis patterns in the cleaved TAS3 (Table S3). Together, these data indicate that miR390-TAS3 biogenesis pathways and functions are at least partially conserved in soybean root. Because auxin signaling and modulation are essential for diverse biological processes in soybean, especially root development and seed ripening [41], [42], miR390-TAS3 biogenesis-derived tasiARFs in roots could orchestrate auxin signaling that might be directly relevant to seed growth and development. In addition, four gma-miR393 target transcripts and three gma-miR1510 target transcripts in both ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413 were identified as producing secondary siRNAs (Figure S5). Gma-miR393 and gma-miR1510–triggered secondary siRNA biogenesis pathways have been reported in soybean [15]. The secondary small RNAs derived from all identified miRNA targets by PsRobot [16] in soybean were searched, and four transcripts (Glyma01g33270.1, Glyma04g29220.3, Glyma09g02920.2, Glyma05g33260.1), targeted respectively by gma-miR171, gma-miR1507, gma-miR1515, and gma-miR2118, were identified to produce secondary siRNAs (Figure 3).
Figure 3

Five novel phasi-acting siRNA biogenesis pathways in soybean root.

The abundance of each secondary siRNAs is plotted (left). The phasing secondary siRNAs corresponding to the miRNA cleavage sites are highlighted in red. The miRNA complementary sites are shown with red arrows. The length distribution is plotted on the right (middle). The phasing radial graph is represented next to this (right). Each spoke of the radial graph represents 1 of the 21 phasing registers, with the total number of sRNAs mapping to that register plotted as distance from the center. A, sense transcript; AS, antisense transcript.

Five novel phasi-acting siRNA biogenesis pathways in soybean root.

The abundance of each secondary siRNAs is plotted (left). The phasing secondary siRNAs corresponding to the miRNA cleavage sites are highlighted in red. The miRNA complementary sites are shown with red arrows. The length distribution is plotted on the right (middle). The phasing radial graph is represented next to this (right). Each spoke of the radial graph represents 1 of the 21 phasing registers, with the total number of sRNAs mapping to that register plotted as distance from the center. A, sense transcript; AS, antisense transcript. The targets of these phasiRNAs were identified by analysis of the soybean degradome (Table S3). Besides the ARF4, a further five novel targets of miR390-TAS3 were found. Moreover, we identified six novel targets for the five phasiRNAs derived from gma-miR393 targets, eight novel targets for the five phasiRNAs derived from gma-miR1507 targets, 29 novel targets for the 22 phasiRNAs derived from gma-miR1510 targets, eight novel targets for the seven phasiRNAs derived from gma-miR1515 targets, five novel targets for the four phasiRNAs derived from gma-miR171 targets and 15 novel targets for the nine phasiRNAs derived from gma-miR2118 targets (Table S3).

Verification of miRNA-guided cleavage of target mRNAs in soybean

To verify the miRNA-guided target cleavage, RLM-5′ RACE experiments were performed to detect cleavage products of the four predicted gma-miRNAs. As shown in Figure 4, all four gma-miRNA guided target cleavages occurred at nucleotide 10 or 11 (Figure 4). Thus, all four predicted targets had specific cleavage sites corresponding to the miRNA complementary sequences.
Figure 4

Differential expressed miRNAs in response to SCN.

SCN-infection-associated miRNAs

The sequencing frequencies for miRNAs in the two libraries were used as an index for estimation of the relative abundance. The expression levels in SCN-resistant soybean root and SCN-sensitive soybean root were compared based on the “reads per million” genome-matched reads (RPM) of miRNAs. Using ZP03-5373 (RPM)/ZP03-5413 (RPM) values >5 or <5, a total of 34 miRNAs belonging to 27 families were identified to be significantly differentially expressed. The results are shown in Table S4. Most of the differentially expressed miRNAs were up regulated in the roots of the SCN-resistant line ZP03-5373 (Table S4). Although the absolute expression level of miRNA is useful, the identification of differential expression profiles at the whole-genome level in response to endogenous cues or stresses is often desirable to detect miRNA function in particular cell processes. In order to examine if the miRNAs might play a role in SCN resistance, the expression pattern of 14 miRNAs that were expressed specifically in ZP03-5373 were analysed using qRT-PCR in SCN-infected and uninfected ZP03-5373 plants. Seven miRNAs were up regulated significantly after the SCN-infection (Figure 5), and therefore appeared to be important in SCN infection and re-generation. A search of the SCN genome sequences identified 44 potential target genes in SCN by these seven SCN-inducible soybean miRNAs, suggesting a possible function of these miRNAs in regulating the expression of these SCN genes (Table 4).
Figure 5

Predicted schematic model of miRNA-SCN system in soybean root.

Table 4

Potential targets in SCN for miRNAs expressed at a high level in the ZP03-5373 line.

miRNAsTarget genea E-valueb Annotation
gma-miRC6gi|107137569.00E-28Hypothetical protein WUBG_11282,partial
gi|107137702.00E-08Hypothetical protein CBG14284
gi|107139842.00E-08Hypothetical protein CBG14284
gi|107139952.00E-08Hypothetical protein CBG14284
gi|107141252.00E-08Hypothetical protein CBG14284
gi|107138993.00E-47Translocon-associated proteinsubunit beta(SSR2)
gi|107139154.00E-25transcription regulator NC2 alphachain
gi|107139763.00E-13FLP-16 protein
gi|107143333.00E-13FLP-16 protein
gi|107140222.00E-09CBN-ATP-4 protein
gi|107140524.00E-16acyl carrier protein (ACP)
gi|107141211.00E-66Protein HSP-25, isoform
gi|107141465.00E-16Protein VHA-14
gi|107141648.00E-14Protein NEF1
gi|107142452.00E-66Protein mago nashi homolog(MAGOH)
gi|107142759.00E-13hypothetical proteinDAPPUDRAFT_330564
gi|107143255.00E-08Patched domain-containingprotein 3 (PTCHD3) homolog
gi|107143422.00E-12hypothetical protein Bm1_39195
gma-miRC6/miRC46gi|107141661.00E-12Ribosomal protein L39(RPL39)
gma-miRC18gi|107137321.00E-26hypothetical proteinCAEBREN_03276
gi|107137486.00E-77Ubiquitin- Conjugating Enzyme(Ubc-2)
gi|107138684.00E-49Hypothetical protein CBG12012
gi|107139296.00E-08Immediate early response3-interacting protein 1(IER3IP1)
gi|107139322.00E-14RE18871p
gi|107139533.00E-21conserved hypothetical proteinDUF1242
gi|107140161.00E-0839 S ribosomal protein L32
gi|107141996.00E-59hypothetical proteinCAEBREN_23803
gi|107142743.00E-11Protein ATP-4
gma-miRC18/miRC38gi|107140873.00E-06hypothetical proteinLOAG_04475
gma-miRC31gi|107137992.00E-5440 S ribosomal protein S18
gi|107140492.00E-5440 S ribosomal protein S18
gma-miRC32gi|107137673.00E-27cleavage stimulation factorsubunit 2
gi|107140613.00E-27cleavage stimulation factorsubunit 2
gi|107139497.00E-11Import inner membranetranslocase subunit tim-13
gi|107139881.00E-82troponin C-like protein
gi|107141063.00E-05hypothetical proteinLOAG_03714
gi|107142971.00E-25NADH dehydrogenaseubiquinone 1 alpha subcomplexsubunit2 (NDUFA2)
gi|107143059.00E-20cytochrome P450, family 3,subfamily A, polypeptide 5
gma-miRC32/miRC58gi|107141191.00E-39Eukaryotic translation initiationfactor 1A, Y-chromosomal
gma-miRC58gi|107142133.00E-06Protein MICAL-3
gi|107139903.00E-06Protein MICAL-3
gi|107140843.00E-06Protein MICAL-3
gi|107140903.00E-06Protein MICAL-3
gi|107141673.00E-11Transcriptional activator proteinPur-alpha

The target gene is the transcript identified from the SCN ESTs. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=51029); b E-value was calculated according to Blast and should be less than 1.00E-5.

The target gene is the transcript identified from the SCN ESTs. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=51029); b E-value was calculated according to Blast and should be less than 1.00E-5. Forty-four transcripts were predicted to be potential targets of differentially expressed miRNAs. A large number of the identified targets were function proteins (Table 4), including NADH dehydrogenase, SSR2, FLP and CBN-ATP-4; i.e., the relative expression level of gma-miRC6 in ZP03-5373 was markedly higher than that of ZP03-5413 (Table 2 and figure 5). Nineteen targets of gma-miRC6 were identified. One of the gma-miRC6 targets, the SSR2 gene, encodes a translocon-associated protein subunit beta, which is associated with protein translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Another miRC6-targeted FLP-16 protein was potentially involved in the neuropeptide signaling pathway and negatively regulated striated muscle contraction. The acyl carrier protein (ACP) is an important component in the fatty acid synthase complex. MAGOH mutations in the mago nashi (grandchildless) gene produce progeny with defects in germplasm assembly and germline development [43], [44]. PTCHD3 plays a role in reproduction development [45], while others are related to protein phosphorylation (AGC family protein kinase) and ATPase activity (Protein VHA-14). All of these genes are important in the development and regeneration of SCN. Ten genes were potential targets of gma-miRC18, which is involved in both the folding and transportation of proteins, and degradation pathways (Table 4). The gma-miRC32 targets encode a hypothetical NADH dehydrogenase, which is the first enzyme required in the respiratory chain pathway.

Discussion

Soybean is an important economic crop. Recently, high-throughput sequencing of sRNAs and RNA degradome has been successfully used to reveal large numbers of soybean miRNAs and their targets. A number of miRNAs have been reported to be involved in organ development [46], nutrient signaling [47], biotic and abiotic stress [48], [49]. These studies imply the important roles of miRNAs in soybean development and interaction with environment, which provide clues for deciphering the functions for microRNA/target modules in soybean. SCN is a significant plant pathogen responsible for an estimated $2 billion annually in yield losses worldwide. The planting of resistant soybean cultivars is the key to managing SCN population levels in the field. Despite some resistant cultivars having been developed and used, there remains a lack of understanding of the molecular basis of the resistance to this pathogen because only two major loci, rhg1 and rhg4 have been cloned [50]; the remaining quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are distributed on the other 16 linkage groups (LG) (except LG D1b and F) (soybase.net) and remain unknown. Progress in understanding the effectiveness and durability of natural plant resistance and enabling the design of novel strategies for resistance through biotechnological approaches has, therefore, been limited. Comparison of the gene expression profiles of soybeanSCN interactions has revealed distinct differences in gene expression between the resistant and susceptible reactions. Therefore, it is important to select suitable soybean lines to detect differently expressed genes. In this study, to develop a better understanding of the molecular events associated with resistance to SCN race 4, we employed the sister lines, ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413, in a comparative analysis of sRNA expression using deep sequencing. ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413 have similar agronomic traits except for resistance to SCN race 4. Our previous study showed that ZP03-5373 was resistant but ZP03-5413 was susceptible to SCN 4, suggesting that some differentially expressed genes may have negative impacts on syncytium development and maintenance. SCNs are highly evolved sedentary plant endoparasites that can enter soybean roots to successfully parasitize plants. RNA interference (RNAi) involving host-induced gene silencing in parasites has been reported [5]. A potential mechanism underlying the involvement of miRNAs in controlling cyst nematodes is proposed. Here, the candidate targets of differentially expressed miRNAs in SCN were predicted (Table 4). Our results predicted the existence of a novel miRNA-mediated regulatory cascade involved in the SCN life cycle in soybean root. These observations demonstrate the relevance of the targeted genes of SCN during the nematode life cycle and, potentially more importantly, suggest that an effective resistance to cyst nematodes in soybean may be achieved using this technology. But which should be confirmed by experiment in the future.

Conclusions

This study describes large scale cloning and characterization of two genetically related soybean sister lines miRNAs, phasiRNAs and their potential targets, we also found that the expression of 34 miRNAs differed significantly between the two lines. Seven ZP03-5373-specific miRNAs were differentially expressed after SCN infection. Forty-four transcripts from SCN were predicted to be potential targets of ZP03-5373-specific differential miRNAs. These findings suggest that miRNAs play an important role in the soybean response to SCN and providing the foundation for further characterization of their roles in the regulation of diverse physiological processes.

Methods

Plant materials

Two genetically related soybean lines, Zhongpin03-5373 (ZP03-5373) and Zhongpin03-5413 (ZP03-5413), which are resistant and susceptible, respectively, to SCN race 4 were used in this study. The two sister lines, ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413 were developed from the cross of two SCN resistant parents “Jin 1265” ⋅ “Hartwig”. The former was resistant and the latter was susceptible to SCN race 4. Elite line Jin 1265 was derived from cultivar Hupizhi Heidou for its resistance. Thus, ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413 have the same genetically pedigrees but different resistance to SCN race 4, which provided an opportunity to gain further insight into the underlying genetic control of resistance. Soybean were grown in a glasshouse at 22–25°C with a 16 h light/8 h dark photoperiod and light intensity of >8000 lx. Roots from 3-weeks-old seedlings were collected and used for RNA extraction. And was used for small RNA expression and degradome analysis.

RNA extraction and preparation of sRNA and degradome cDNA libraries for Solexa sequencing

Soybean root total RNA was extracted using TRIzol (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). Total RNA was size-fractionated by 15% denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, after which small RNA fragments of 18–28 nt were isolated from the gel and purified. The small RNA molecules were then sequentially ligated to a 5′ adaptor and a 3′ adaptor and converted to cDNA by RT-PCR following the Illumina protocol. The concentration of the sample was adjusted to ∼10 nM and a total of 10 µL were used in a sequencing reaction. The purified cDNA library was sequenced on an Illumina GAIIx. The degradome library was constructed as described previously [33]. For the short RNA libraries, the degradome cDNA library was sequenced on an Illumina GAIIx.

Bioinformatic analyses

After masking adaptor sequences and removal of contaminated reads, the clean reads were filtered for miRNA prediction. First, reads that matched rRNA, tRNA, snRNA, snoRNA, repeat sequences, and other ncRNAs deposited in Rfam (http://www.sanger.ac.uk/software/Rfam) [51] and the GenBank noncoding RNA database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) were discarded. The retained 18–28-nt reads were mapped onto the genome of soybean, using V 9.0 (http://www.phytozome.net) by the bowtie2 software. All perfectly matched sRNAs were retained for miRNA prediction. After rigorous screening, all retained sequences of 18–28 nt with a frequency of three or more copies were considered potential miRNAs. We then attempted to align the predicted miRNAs to all soybean known mature miRNA sequences in miRBase, version 19.0 [51] to identify novelty. Finally, secondary structure prediction of individual miRNAs was performed with the MFOLD software (Version 2.38, http://mfold.rna.albany.edu/?q=mfold/RNA-Folding-Form) using the default folding conditions [52], and novel miRNAs were predicted using the psRobot software [53]. The identification of phased transcripts in soybean was performed by a method described previously [54]. The degradome analysis and the classification of target categories were performed using CleaveLand 3.0 [38]. Small RNA target prediction was run against the transcriptome of interest. The alignment scores (using the [8] rubric) for each hit up to a user-defined cutoff were calculated, full RNA-RNA alignments were printed, and the ‘cleavage site’ associated with each prediction was also calculated. The cleavage site is simply the 10th nt of complementarity to the aligned sRNA. For randomized queries, no alignments were retained; however, concise records of each predicted target for the random queries were retained, including the predicted cleavage sites. We also used the psRobot software to identity the targets of phasiRNAs. miRNA targets were predicted in SCN using the microTar software (http://tiger.dbs.nus.edu.sg/microtar/) [55].

End-point and SYBR Green I real-time PCR assays of soybean miRNAs

End-point and real-time looped RT-PCR [56] were used to validate and measure the levels of soybean miRNA. Stem–loop RT primers, a universal reverse primer and miRNA-specific forward primers for gma-miR160a, gma-miR398a, gma-miR398c, gma-miR399a, gma-miR399d, gma-miR4412–5p, gma-miR862a, gma-miR156C1, gma-miR160C1, gma-miR157C5, gma-miR159C1, gma-miR172C1, gma-miR2109C1, gma-miR393C1, gma-miR395C1, gma-miR399C3, gma-miR399C5, gma-miR399C7, gma-miR1C2, gma-miRC4, gma-miRC6, gma-miRC10, gma-miRC18, gma-miRC19, gma-miRC31, gma-miRC32, gma-miRC36, gma-miRC38, gma-miRC46, gma-miRC49, gma-miRC52, gma-miRC58, gma-miRC71 and gma-miRC75 were designed according to Varkonyi-Gasic et al.[48] (Additional file 10: Table S5). One microgram of total RNA was reverse-transcribed to cDNA using ReverTra Ace (TOYOBO, Osaka, Japan). Stem-loop pulsed reverse transcription and end-point PCR were performed according to [56]. Real time qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR) was performed using SYBR Premix Ex Taq™ of TaKaRa (TaKaRa Code: DRR041A) on a model 7500 thermocycler (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). All reactions were run in triplicate. After the reaction, the threshold cycle (Ct) was determined using default threshold settings. The Ct was defined as the fractional cycle number at which the fluorescence surpasses the fixed threshold. Secondary structures of 71 putative less-conserved soybean miRNAs and miRNAs. Pink section represents miRNA-5p; yellow section represents miRNA-3p. (PDF) Click here for additional data file. qRT-PCR results. qRT-PCR confirming express pattern of miRNAs in ZP03-5373 and ZP03-5413. The expression levels were normalized against the U6 RNA. (JPG) Click here for additional data file. Secondary structures of 75 putative soybean-specific miRNAs and miRNAs counterparts. Pink section represents miRNA-5p; yellow section represents miRNA-3p. (DOCX) Click here for additional data file. degradome T-plot. We used reads in plotting the cleavages on target mRNAs, which were referred to as ‘target plots’ (t-plots) by German et al [17]. Signature abundance throughout the length of the indicated transcripts is shown. miRNA:mRNA alignments along with the detected cleavage frequencies are shown. The frequencies of degradome tags with 5′ends at the indicated positions are shown in black, with the frequency at position 10 of the inset miRNA target alignment highlighted in red. (PDF) Click here for additional data file. The small RNAs corresponding to the miRNA targets. The abundance of each secondary siRNAs is plotted (A). The phasing secondary siRNAs corresponding to the miRNA cleavage sites are highlighted in red. The miRNA complementary sites are shown with red arrows. The length distribution is plotted on the right (B). The phasing radial graph is represented next to this (C). Each spoke of the radial graph represents 1 of the 21 phasing registers, with the total number of sRNAs mapping to that register plotted as distance from the center. A, sense transcript; AS, antisense transcript. (PDF) Click here for additional data file. Statistics of sRNA sequences from a: Redundancy(%) = 100-(Total unique high quality Reads/Total high quality Reads x 100); b: using soap2.0 aligner;c: Glycine max Genome were downlaod from Phytozome (http://www.phytozome.net/index.php),and the version is 9.0. (XLSX) Click here for additional data file. Known miRNAs identified in (XLSX) Click here for additional data file. miRNAs triggered secondary phasiRNAs and its targets. (XLS) Click here for additional data file. Differential expressed soybean miRNAs. (XLS) Click here for additional data file. miRNA and primer sequences. (XLSX) Click here for additional data file.
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