Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpea

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non‐coding small RNAs that regulate gene expression at transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels. The role of miRNAs in seed development and seed size/weight determination is poorly understood in legumes. In this study, we profiled miRNAs at seven successive sta...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Niraj Khemka, Mohan Singh Rajkumar, Rohini Garg, Mukesh Jain
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-03-01
Series:Plant Direct
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.299
_version_ 1831560256367362048
author Niraj Khemka
Mohan Singh Rajkumar
Rohini Garg
Mukesh Jain
author_facet Niraj Khemka
Mohan Singh Rajkumar
Rohini Garg
Mukesh Jain
author_sort Niraj Khemka
collection DOAJ
description Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non‐coding small RNAs that regulate gene expression at transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels. The role of miRNAs in seed development and seed size/weight determination is poorly understood in legumes. In this study, we profiled miRNAs at seven successive stages of seed development in a small‐seeded and a large‐seeded chickpea cultivar via small RNA sequencing. In total, 113 known and 243 novel miRNAs were identified. Gene ontology analysis revealed the enrichment of seed/reproductive/post‐embryonic development and signaling pathways processes among the miRNA target genes. A large fraction of the target genes exhibited antagonistic correlation with miRNA expression. The sets of co‐expressed miRNAs showing differential expression between the two cultivars were recognized. Known transcription factor (TF) encoding genes involved in seed size/weight determination, including SPL, GRF, MYB, ARF, HAIKU1, SHB1, KLUH/CYP78A5, and E2Fb along with novel genes were found to be targeted by the predicted miRNAs. Differential expression analysis revealed higher transcript levels of members of SPL and REVOLUTA TF families and lower expression of their corresponding miRNAs in the large‐seeded cultivar. At least 19 miRNAs known to be involved in seed development or differentially expressed between small‐seeded and large‐seeded cultivars at late‐embryogenesis and/or mid‐maturation stages were located within known quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with seed size/weight determination. Moreover, 41 target genes of these miRNAs were also located within these QTLs. Altogether, we revealed important roles of miRNAs in seed development and identified candidate miRNAs and their target genes that have functional relevance in determining seed size/weight in chickpea.
first_indexed 2024-12-17T05:42:59Z
format Article
id doaj.art-970a016cdac242d7911ab3f3b2cd247f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2475-4455
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-17T05:42:59Z
publishDate 2021-03-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Plant Direct
spelling doaj.art-970a016cdac242d7911ab3f3b2cd247f2022-12-21T22:01:24ZengWileyPlant Direct2475-44552021-03-0153n/an/a10.1002/pld3.299Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpeaNiraj Khemka0Mohan Singh Rajkumar1Rohini Garg2Mukesh Jain3School of Computational & Integrative Sciences Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi IndiaSchool of Computational & Integrative Sciences Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi IndiaDepartment of Life Sciences School of Natural Sciences Shiv Nadar University Gautam Buddha Nagar Uttar Pradesh IndiaSchool of Computational & Integrative Sciences Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi IndiaAbstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non‐coding small RNAs that regulate gene expression at transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels. The role of miRNAs in seed development and seed size/weight determination is poorly understood in legumes. In this study, we profiled miRNAs at seven successive stages of seed development in a small‐seeded and a large‐seeded chickpea cultivar via small RNA sequencing. In total, 113 known and 243 novel miRNAs were identified. Gene ontology analysis revealed the enrichment of seed/reproductive/post‐embryonic development and signaling pathways processes among the miRNA target genes. A large fraction of the target genes exhibited antagonistic correlation with miRNA expression. The sets of co‐expressed miRNAs showing differential expression between the two cultivars were recognized. Known transcription factor (TF) encoding genes involved in seed size/weight determination, including SPL, GRF, MYB, ARF, HAIKU1, SHB1, KLUH/CYP78A5, and E2Fb along with novel genes were found to be targeted by the predicted miRNAs. Differential expression analysis revealed higher transcript levels of members of SPL and REVOLUTA TF families and lower expression of their corresponding miRNAs in the large‐seeded cultivar. At least 19 miRNAs known to be involved in seed development or differentially expressed between small‐seeded and large‐seeded cultivars at late‐embryogenesis and/or mid‐maturation stages were located within known quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with seed size/weight determination. Moreover, 41 target genes of these miRNAs were also located within these QTLs. Altogether, we revealed important roles of miRNAs in seed development and identified candidate miRNAs and their target genes that have functional relevance in determining seed size/weight in chickpea.https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.299Cicer arietinumco‐expression networkmiRNAmodulesseed developmentseed size/weight
spellingShingle Niraj Khemka
Mohan Singh Rajkumar
Rohini Garg
Mukesh Jain
Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpea
Plant Direct
Cicer arietinum
co‐expression network
miRNA
modules
seed development
seed size/weight
title Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpea
title_full Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpea
title_fullStr Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpea
title_full_unstemmed Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpea
title_short Genome‐wide profiling of miRNAs during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size/weight determination in chickpea
title_sort genome wide profiling of mirnas during seed development reveals their functional relevance in seed size weight determination in chickpea
topic Cicer arietinum
co‐expression network
miRNA
modules
seed development
seed size/weight
url https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.299
work_keys_str_mv AT nirajkhemka genomewideprofilingofmirnasduringseeddevelopmentrevealstheirfunctionalrelevanceinseedsizeweightdeterminationinchickpea
AT mohansinghrajkumar genomewideprofilingofmirnasduringseeddevelopmentrevealstheirfunctionalrelevanceinseedsizeweightdeterminationinchickpea
AT rohinigarg genomewideprofilingofmirnasduringseeddevelopmentrevealstheirfunctionalrelevanceinseedsizeweightdeterminationinchickpea
AT mukeshjain genomewideprofilingofmirnasduringseeddevelopmentrevealstheirfunctionalrelevanceinseedsizeweightdeterminationinchickpea