Abstract
Small RNAs, especially microRNAs (miRNAs), play an essential role in the responses and adaptations of plants to many stresses, including salt stress. Characterizing miRNAs that correlate with salt stress will improve our understanding of salt tolerance and thus contribute to the sustainable production of maize. In our previous research, small RNA sequencing and degradome sequencing was performed on a maize inbred line (LH196), and many salt stress-responsive miRNAs and their targets were identified. In this study, the identity of target genes of miR164a was confirmed by quantitative expression analysis. Furthermore, the interactions between miR164a and its target genes were examined in a preliminary experiment using overexpression and target mimicry under salt treatment in maize. The results show that Zma-miR164 may respond to salt stress; because the expression of zma-miR164 was decreased with salt stress, leading to a significant increase in the expression of its target genes GRMZM2G114850 (the NAC transcription factor family proteins NAM, ATAF, and CUC) and GRMZM2G008819 (electron carrier). The NAC transcription factors respond to salt stress by regulating the expression pattern of their downstream genes.
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