Shengrui Liu1, Xiaozeng Mi1, Ran Zhang2, Yanlin An1, Qiying Zhou3, Tianyuan Yang1, Xiaobo Xia1, Rui Guo1, Xuewen Wang4, Chaoling Wei5. 1. State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, 230036, China. 2. Tea Research Institution, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Huangshang, China. 3. Henan Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology, Xinyang Normal University, 237 Nanhu Road, Xinyang, 464000, China. 4. Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. 5. State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, 230036, China. weichl@ahau.edu.cn.
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION: The roles of microRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation were highlighted in the bud dormancy-activity cycle, implying that certain differentially expressed miRNAs play crucial roles in apical bud burst, such as csn-miR319c/TCP2. microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNA transcripts for cleavage or directing translational inhibition. To investigate whether miRNAs regulate bud dormancy-activation transition in tea plant, which largely affects the yield and price of tea products and adaptability of tea trees, we constructed small RNA libraries from three different periods of bud dormancy-burst transition. Through sequencing analysis, 262 conserved and 83 novel miRNAs were identified, including 118 differentially expressed miRNAs. Quantitative RT-PCR results for randomly selected miRNAs exhibited that our comprehensive analysis is highly reliable and accurate. The content of caffeine increased continuously from the endodormancy bud to flushing bud, and differentially expressed miRNAs coupling with their targets associated with bud burst were identified. Remarkably, csn-miR319c was downregulated significantly from the quiescent bud to burst bud, while its target gene CsnTCP2 (TEOSINTE BRANCHED/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR 2) displayed opposite expression patterns. Co-transformation experiment in tobacco demonstrated that csn-miR319c can significantly suppress the functions of CsnTCP2. This study on miRNAs and the recognition of target genes could provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of the bud dormancy-activation transition in tea plant.
MAIN CONCLUSION: The roles of microRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation were highlighted in the bud dormancy-activity cycle, implying that certain differentially expressed miRNAs play crucial roles in apical bud burst, such as csn-miR319c/TCP2. microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNA transcripts for cleavage or directing translational inhibition. To investigate whether miRNAs regulate bud dormancy-activation transition in tea plant, which largely affects the yield and price of tea products and adaptability of tea trees, we constructed small RNA libraries from three different periods of bud dormancy-burst transition. Through sequencing analysis, 262 conserved and 83 novel miRNAs were identified, including 118 differentially expressed miRNAs. Quantitative RT-PCR results for randomly selected miRNAs exhibited that our comprehensive analysis is highly reliable and accurate. The content of caffeine increased continuously from the endodormancy bud to flushing bud, and differentially expressed miRNAs coupling with their targets associated with bud burst were identified. Remarkably, csn-miR319c was downregulated significantly from the quiescent bud to burst bud, while its target gene CsnTCP2 (TEOSINTE BRANCHED/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR 2) displayed opposite expression patterns. Co-transformation experiment in tobacco demonstrated that csn-miR319c can significantly suppress the functions of CsnTCP2. This study on miRNAs and the recognition of target genes could provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of the bud dormancy-activation transition in tea plant.
Authors: Jérémy Derory; Patrick Léger; Virginie Garcia; Jacques Schaeffer; Marie-Theres Hauser; Franck Salin; Christian Luschnig; Christophe Plomion; Josef Glössl; Antoine Kremer Journal: New Phytol Date: 2006 Impact factor: 10.151