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Gene regulation

Ancient microRNA target sequences in plants

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A gene-regulation mechanism in plants predates the emergence of flowering species.

Abstract

MicroRNAs are an abundant class of small RNAs that are thought to regulate the expression of protein-coding genes in plants and animals. Here we show that the target sequence of two microRNAs, known to regulate genes in the class-III homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD–Zip) gene family of the flowering plant Arabidopsis, is conserved in homologous sequences from all lineages of land plants, including bryophytes, lycopods, ferns and seed plants. We also find that the messenger RNAs from these genes are cleaved within the same microRNA-binding site in representatives of each land-plant group, as they are in Arabidopsis. Our results indicate not only that microRNAs mediate gene regulation in non-flowering as well as flowering plants, but also that the regulation of this class of plant genes dates back more than 400 million years.

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Figure 1: MicroRNA-mediated cleavage of class-III HD–Zip genes in land plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, 95616, California, USA

    Sandra K. Floyd & John L. Bowman

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  1. Sandra K. Floyd
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  2. John L. Bowman
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Correspondence to John L. Bowman.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Figure 1

miRNA mediated cleavage of class III HD-ZIP genes in land plants. (DOC 22 kb)

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Floyd, S., Bowman, J. Ancient microRNA target sequences in plants. Nature 428, 485–486 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/428485a

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