Abstract
BackgroundHeavy metal ATPases (HMAs) are responsible for Cd translocation and play a primary role in Cd detoxification in various plant species. However, the characteristics of HMAs and the regulatory mechanisms between HMAs and microRNAs in wheat (Triticum aestivum L) remain unknown.ResultsBy comparative microRNA and transcriptome analysis, a total three known and 19 novel differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) and 1561 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in L17 after Cd treatment. In H17, by contrast, 12 known and 57 novel DEMs, and only 297 Cd-induced DEGs were found. Functional enrichments of DEMs and DEGs indicate how genotype-specific biological processes responded to Cd stress. Processes found to be involved in microRNAs-associated Cd response include: ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, tyrosine metabolism, and carbon fixation pathways and thiamine metabolism. For the mRNA response, categories including terpenoid backbone biosynthesis and phenylalanine metabolism, and photosynthesis - antenna proteins and ABC transporters were enriched. Moreover, we identified 32 TaHMA genes in wheat. Phylogenetic trees, chromosomal locations, conserved motifs and expression levels in different tissues and roots under Cd stress are presented. Finally, we infer a microRNA-TaHMAs expression network, indicating that miRNAs can regulate TaHMAs.ConclusionOur findings suggest that microRNAs play important role in wheat under Cd stress through regulation of targets such as TaHMA2;1. Identification of these targets will be useful for screening and breeding low-Cd accumulation wheat lines.
Highlights
Heavy metal ATPases (HMAs) are responsible for Cd translocation and play a primary role in Cd detoxification in various plant species
The average concentrations of Cd in grain decreased in the order of Chinese modern cultivars (CMC) > Chuanyu wheat cultivars (Chuanyu) > International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), with significant differences between group averages (Fig. 1a)
In H17 we found 12 known and 57 novel differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs), 297 Cdinduced differentially expressed genes (DEGs)
Summary
Heavy metal ATPases (HMAs) are responsible for Cd translocation and play a primary role in Cd detoxification in various plant species. Deleterious effects of Cd are dramatic and varied in both humans and plants. High Cd results in a wide range of biochemical and physiological disorders, inhibiting yield and quality [4]. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are typically 21 nucleotide endogenous non-coding RNAs that play key roles in regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally, usually via cleavage or translational repression of target mRNAs. Zhou et al BMC Genomics (2019) 20:615. MiRNAs are involved in various physiological processes and play important roles in growth and development [16, 17], and numerous miRNAs participate in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses [18,19,20,21]. The interplay of Cd, regulatory miRNAs, and the transcriptome is not at all understood, so there is still an obvious gap in our understanding of their interplay in a major crop
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