CHARACTERISTICS OF miRNA INTERACTION WITH mRNA GENES OF T. AESTIVUM C2H2, ERF, GRAS TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS FAMILIES

Abstract

The molecular mechanisms for increasing plant productivity remain poorly understood. Genes of C2H2, GRAS, ERF transcription factors (TFs) families play a key role in the physiological processes of plants, including wheat. In recent years, the important role of miRNAs in the regulation of the expression of many genes involved in the formation of productivity has been established. Wheat miRNA (mRNA-inhibiting RNA) target genes are involved in the regulation of the development of flowers, seeds, root, shoots, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. The miRNAs binding sites in mRNAs of C2H2, ERF, GRAS TFs families were performed using the MirTarget program, which calculates the free energy of miRNA binding with mRNA, the schemes and positions of nucleotide interactions with binding sites. Wheat genes were used as the object of the study, since wheat is one of the main grain crops in Kazakhstan and in many other countries. The presence of miRNA binding sites with high nucleotide complementarity in mRNA of C2H2, ERF, GRAS TF genes of wheat was shown. All binding sites of these miRNAs were located in the CDS of mRNA target genes. Of the 125 miRNAs of T. aestivum, miR319-3p efficiently bound with mRNA of C2H2 family genes with the value of ΔG/ΔGm equal 91 %. miR7757-5p interacted with mRNA of ERF and GRAS family genes with the value of ΔG/ΔGm equal to 92 % and 90 % respectively. miR9778-5p bound with mRNA of C2H2, ERF, GRAS family genes to varying degrees. Each of the miR408-3p, miR9780-3p, and miR9778-5p had four target genes with the value of ΔG/ΔGm equal to 87 % and 89 %. These data indicate the dependency of C2H2, GRAS, ERF TFs families expression on miRNA. The obtained results expand the fundamental ideas about the regulatory mechanisms of miRNA in the process of plant growth and development.