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Discovery and profiling of novel and conserved microRNAs during flower development in Carya cathayensis via deep sequencing

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Abstract

Hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.) is an economically important woody plant in China, but its long juvenile phase delays yield. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators of genes and important for normal plant development and physiology, including flower development. We used Solexa technology to sequence two small RNA libraries from two floral differentiation stages in hickory to identify miRNAs related to flower development. We identified 39 conserved miRNA sequences from 114 loci belonging to 23 families as well as two novel and ten potential novel miRNAs belonging to nine families. Moreover, 35 conserved miRNA*s and two novel miRNA*s were detected. Twenty miRNA sequences from 49 loci belonging to 11 families were differentially expressed; all were up-regulated at the later stage of flower development in hickory. Quantitative real-time PCR of 12 conserved miRNA sequences, five novel miRNA families, and two novel miRNA*s validated that all were expressed during hickory flower development, and the expression patterns were similar to those detected with Solexa sequencing. Finally, a total of 146 targets of the novel and conserved miRNAs were predicted. This study identified a diverse set of miRNAs that were closely related to hickory flower development and that could help in plant floral induction.

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Abbreviations

ARF:

Auxin response factor

DAFB:

Days after full bloom

miRNA:

MicroRNA

miRNA*:

miRNA star

qRT-PCR:

Quantitative real-time PCR

SPB:

Squamosa promoter-binding

sRNA:

Small RNA

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30872047, 31170637 and 31070604), the initial project of the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB111510), the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Z307534 and Y305331), the Fruit Innovation Team Project of Zhejiang Province (2009R50033), the Key Project of the Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province (2007C12023) and the Innovation Team Project of Zhejiang A & F University (Class B) (2007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, Linan, Hangzhou, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Zheng Jia Wang, Jian Qin Huang, You Jun Huang, Zheng Li & Bing Song Zheng

  2. School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Dong Hu Campus, 88 Northern Circle Road, Linan, Hangzhou, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Zheng Jia Wang, Jian Qin Huang, You Jun Huang, Zheng Li & Bing Song Zheng

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  1. Zheng Jia Wang
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  2. Jian Qin Huang
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  3. You Jun Huang
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  4. Zheng Li
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  5. Bing Song Zheng
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Correspondence to Bing Song Zheng.

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Wang, Z.J., Huang, J.Q., Huang, Y.J. et al. Discovery and profiling of novel and conserved microRNAs during flower development in Carya cathayensis via deep sequencing. Planta 236, 613–621 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-012-1634-x

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