Abstract
Plants are frequently exposed to various abiotic stresses, including aluminum, cadmium and salinity stress. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) displays wide genetic diversity in its tolerance to various abiotic stresses. In this study, small RNA and degradome libraries from the roots of a barley cultivar, Golden Promise, treated with aluminum, cadmium and salt or controls were constructed to understand the molecular mechanisms of microRNAs in regulating tolerance to these stresses. A total of 525 microRNAs including 198 known and 327 novel members were identified through high-throughput sequencing. Among these, 31 microRNAs in 17 families were responsive to these stresses, and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that their targeting genes were mostly highlighted as transcription factors. Furthermore, five (miR166a, miR166a-3p, miR167b-5p, miR172b-3p and miR390), four (MIR159a, miR160a, miR172b-5p and miR393) and three (miR156a, miR156d and miR171a-3p) microRNAs were specifically responsive to aluminum, cadmium and salt stress, respectively. Six miRNAs, i.e., miR156b, miR166a-5p, miR169a, miR171a-5p, miR394 and miR396e, were involved in the responses to the three stresses, with different expression patterns. A model of microRNAs responding to aluminum, cadmium and salt stresses was proposed, which may be helpful in comprehensively understanding the mechanisms of microRNAs in regulating stress tolerance in barley.
Highlights
Abiotic stresses such as salinity, heavy metals and aluminum (Al) in soil severely limit crop production worldwide, with estimated losses of over USD 120 billion p.a. [1]
The root growth of the barley cultivar Golden Promise was dramatically inhibited under Al, Cd and salt stress treatments in comparison with controls (Figure 1a–c)
31 miRNAs and their targets were identified in the roots of barley seedlings exposed to Al, Cd and salt stresses
Summary
Abiotic stresses such as salinity, heavy metals and aluminum (Al) in soil severely limit crop production worldwide, with estimated losses of over USD 120 billion p.a. [1]. Abiotic stresses such as salinity, heavy metals and aluminum (Al) in soil severely limit crop production worldwide, with estimated losses of over USD 120 billion p.a. Al (mainly in the form of Al3+ in acidic soil) is toxic to plant growth by targeting various cellular sites and processes, which leads to the inhibition of root elongation and the uptake of water and nutrients [2,3,4]. Cd stress inhibits plant growth and development, leading to reduced yield, and causes the potential damage to human health through the food chain [6]. Soil salinization is a major abiotic factor affecting crop planting and production worldwide [7]. Over 900 million hectares of soil have been affected by salinity worldwide, which is becoming a bottleneck of sustainable development for agriculture [7]
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