Transcriptional Regulation of zma-<i>MIR528a</i> by Action of Nitrate and Auxin in Maize

In recent years, miR528, a monocot-specific miRNA, has been assigned multifaceted roles during development and stress response in several plant species. However, the transcription regulation and the molecular mechanisms controlling <i>MIR528</i> expression in maize are still poorly explo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eduardo Luján-Soto, Paola I. Aguirre de la Cruz, Vasti T. Juárez-González, José L. Reyes, María de la Paz Sanchez, Tzvetanka D. Dinkova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-12-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/24/15718
Description
Summary:In recent years, miR528, a monocot-specific miRNA, has been assigned multifaceted roles during development and stress response in several plant species. However, the transcription regulation and the molecular mechanisms controlling <i>MIR528</i> expression in maize are still poorly explored. Here we analyzed the zma-<i>MIR528a</i> promoter region and found conserved transcription factor binding sites related to diverse signaling pathways, including the nitrate (TGA1/4) and auxin (AuxRE) response networks. Accumulation of both pre-miR528a and mature miR528 was up-regulated by exogenous nitrate and auxin treatments during imbibition, germination, and maize seedling establishment. Functional promoter analyses demonstrated that TGA1/4 and AuxRE sites are required for transcriptional induction by both stimuli. Overall, our findings of the nitrogen- and auxin-induced zma-<i>MIR528a</i> expression through <i>cis</i>-regulatory elements in its promoter contribute to the knowledge of miR528 regulome.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067