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Identification and comparative analysis of microRNAs in Pinus massoniana infected by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

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Abstract

Pine wilt disease seriously endangers pine tree growth and can lead to wilting and death. In this study, Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) was used as the donor plant to study miRNA expression by high-throughput sequencing in needle leaves of trees during the first 3 days after infection by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. The results showed that the number of differentially expressed miRNAs first increased and then decreased in samples within 3 days of infection, with the highest expression in samples collected on day 2. Analysis of miRNA target genes in needles on different days after infection revealed enrichment in two pathways: plant hormone signal transduction and RNA transport. Further comparison of the samples indicated differential expression of 10 miRNAs on different days after infection, and the corresponding target genes, such as those participating in plant hormone signal transduction, were also significantly enriched. In addition, the concentrations of zeatin and indole acetic acid in needle tissues were significantly lower after infection than in the control sample. The above results indicated that B. xylophilus infection influenced the expression of miRNAs related to plant hormone signal transduction in P. massoniana, decreasing plant hormone synthesis and ultimately affecting the growth of Masson pine.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Project of Financial Department of Fujian Province (No. K81139238 and K8911010), the Special Fund for Forestry Research in the Public Interest of China (No. 201304401), and the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2013 J01074).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forestry Protection, Forestry College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

    Wanfeng Xie, Aizhen Huang, Huimin Li, Lizhen Feng, Feiping Zhang & Wenshuo Guo

  2. Jinshan College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

    Wanfeng Xie & Wenshuo Guo

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  1. Wanfeng Xie
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  2. Aizhen Huang
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  3. Huimin Li
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  4. Lizhen Feng
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  5. Feiping Zhang
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  6. Wenshuo Guo
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Correspondence to Feiping Zhang or Wenshuo Guo.

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Xie, W., Huang, A., Li, H. et al. Identification and comparative analysis of microRNAs in Pinus massoniana infected by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus . Plant Growth Regul 83, 223–232 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-016-0221-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-016-0221-8

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