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- Title
Differentially expressed microRNA cohorts in seed development may contribute to poor grain filling of inferior spikelets in rice.
- Authors
Ting Peng; Hongzheng Sun; Mengmeng Qiao; Yafan Zhao; Yanxiu Du; Jing Zhang; Junzhou Li; Guiliang Tang; Quanzhi Zhao
- Abstract
Background The inferior spikelets are defined to be those at portions where the grains receive less photosynthetic products during the seed development. The typical inferior spikelets are physically located on the proximal secondary branches in a rice panicle and traditionally characterized by a later flowering time and a slower grain-filling rate, compared to those socalled superior spikelets. Grains produced on the inferior spikelets are consequently underdeveloped and lighter in weight than those formed on the superior spikelets. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recognized as key players in regulating plant development through posttranscriptional gene regulations. We previously presented the evidence that miRNAs may influence grain-filling rate and played a role in determining the grain weight and yield in rice. Results In this study, further analyses of the expressed small RNAs in superior and inferior spikelets were conducted at five distinct developmental stages of grain development. Totally, 457 known miRNAs and 13 novel miRNAs were analyzed, showing a differential expression of 141 known miRNAs between superior and inferior spikelets with higher expression levels of most miRNAs associated with the superior than the inferior spikelets during the early stage of grain filling. Genes targeted by those differentially expressed miRNAs (i.e. miR156, miR164, miR167, miR397, miR1861, and miR1867) were recognized to play roles in multiple developmental and signaling pathways related to plant hormone homeostasis and starch accumulation. Conclusions Our data established a complicated link between miRNA dynamics and the traditional role of hormones in grain filling and development, providing new insights into the widely accepted concepts of the so-called superior and inferior spikelets in rice production.
- Subjects
RICE; SEED development; PLANT development; ORYZA; RNA
- Publication
BMC Plant Biology, 2014, Vol 14, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1471-2229
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s12870-014-0196-4