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The microRNA167 controls somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis through regulating its target genes ARF6 and ARF8

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Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded small, endogenous RNAs that can downregulate gene expression in plants and animals. Plant miRNAs are already known to function in many biological processes during plant development by targeting mRNA for degradation or repression. Somatic embryogenesis is used as a model to investigate miRNAs associated with embryogenesis and also as an important pathway for plant propagation. To determine the roles of miRNAs in Arabidopsis somatic embryogenesis, we analyzed miRNA microarrays representing known miRNAs in embryonic callus before and after somatic embryo (SE) induction. After identifying several differentially expressed miRNAs from the microarray data, we focused on MIR167c encoding miR167 because of its potential involvement in SE induction. Overexpression of miR167 inhibited SE formation, showing that miR167 negatively regulates SE induction. The negative effects of miR167 on SE formation are characterized by the alteration of auxin response and local auxin transport in embryonic callus. Overexpression of miR167 resulted in low levels of auxin response factor 6 (ARF6) and ARF8 transcripts. Genetic analysis revealed that arf6 and arf8 single mutants and the arf6-2 arf8-3/+ sesquimutant displayed SE defects. Our results thus suggest that miR167 regulates somatic embryogenesis through auxin signaling components ARF6 and ARF8. This study provides important information concerning miRNA-mediated somatic embryogenesis.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91217308, 31170272).

Authors contribution

Conceived and designed the experiments: X.S. Zhang, Y.H. Su. Performed the experiments: Y.H. Su, Y.B. Liu, C. Zhou, X.M. Li. Analyzed the microarray data: X.S. Zhang, Y.H. Su, C. Zhou. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: Y.H. Su, Y.B. Liu, C. Zhou, X.M. Li. Wrote the paper: X.S. Zhang, Y.H. Su.

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    1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

      Ying Hua Su, Yu Bo Liu, Chao Zhou, Xiao Ming Li & Xian Sheng Zhang

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    1. Ying Hua Su
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    Correspondence to Xian Sheng Zhang.

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    Ying Hua Su, Yu Bo Liu and Chao Zhou have contributed equally to this work.

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    Su, Y.H., Liu, Y.B., Zhou, C. et al. The microRNA167 controls somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis through regulating its target genes ARF6 and ARF8 . Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 124, 405–417 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-015-0903-3

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