Identification of Exogenous Nitric Oxide-Responsive miRNAs from Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under Drought Stress by High-Throughput Sequencing

Crop yield is challenged every year worldwide by changing climatic conditions. The forecasted climatic scenario urgently demands stress-tolerant crop varieties to feed the ever-increasing global population. Molecular breeding and genetic engineering approaches have been frequently exploited for developing crops with desired agronomic traits. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as powerful molecules, which potentially serve as expression markers during stress conditions. The miRNAs are small non-coding endogenous RNAs, usually 20–24 nucleotides long, which mediate post-transcriptional gene silencing and fine-tune the regulation of many abiotic- and biotic-stress responsive genes in plants. The miRNAs usually function by specifically pairing with the target mRNAs, inducing their cleavage or repressing their translation. This review focuses on the exploration of the functional role of miRNAs in regulating plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Moreover, a methodology is also discussed to mine stress-responsive miRNAs from the enormous amount of transcriptome data available in the public domain generated using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Considering the functional role of miRNAs in mediating stress responses, these molecules may be explored as novel targets for engineering stress-tolerant crop varieties.

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“…Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) multiple miRNAs Drought stress [86] miR3512, miR3630, miR5213, miR5294, miR5368 and miR6173 Drought stress [87] miR156…”

Section: Micrornas Stress Responses Referencementioning

confidence: 99%

MicroRNAs: Potential Targets for Developing Stress-Tolerant Crops

Chaudhary

Grover

Sharma

2021

Life

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“…NO has also been implicated in activating defense response at a molecular level by preventing DNA methylation and genome-wide alteration, thereby regulating epigeneticmediated defense response in plants (Gupta et al, 2020). Exogenous application of SNP also induced the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) that are potentially involved in regulating epigenetic modification in Medicago sativa plants leading to enhanced growth and development under drought stress (Zhao et al, 2020). Similarly, treating soybean plants with SNP (0.1 mM) stimulates osmolytes accumulation and antioxidant defense responses under drought stress (Rezayian et al, 2020).…”

Section: Droughtmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salicylic Acid and Nitric Oxide: Insight Into the Transcriptional Regulation of Their Metabolism and Regulatory Functions in Plants

et al. 2021

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Salicylic acid (SA) and nitric oxide (NO) are key signaling molecules required to activate the plant's innate immunity against abiotic stresses and biotrophic attackers. Stress-induced signaling and accumulation of SA and NO triggers extensive transcriptional reprogramming of defense-related genes, induced biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and anti-microbial compounds, thereby protecting/steering plant growth and immunity. Transcriptional regulation of SA and NO signaling are crucial for fine-tuning important cellular and metabolic functions, thus making plant defense impervious against many pathogens. The development of an impenetrable immune response is often associated with an unavoidable trade-off in the form of active suppression of plant growth and reproduction. Therefore, we highlighted recent advancements and research to unravel transcriptional regulation of SA and NO signaling essential for fulfilling their role as defense signaling molecules. We also emphasized comprehensive knowledge related to transcriptional reprogramming of SA and NO signaling important in strengthening plant growth-immunity trade-off. We also highlighted the progress on SA and NO signaling playing an indispensable role in stimulating plant-microbe interaction to modulate crucial plant functions.

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“…The alfalfa acreage has significantly risen in China since the Chinese government has started a strategy to strengthen the milk and alfalfa sectors in 2012 (Fan et al, 2018 ). Although the deep root structure of alfalfa protects it from drought on the dry and semi-arid ground, the scanty and erratic precipitation of the region has severely hampered crop yields and quality, stifling the growth in the alfalfa business (Zhang and Shi, 2018 ; Zhao et al, 2019 ). Enhancing drought resistance of alfalfa requires first learning about its molecular process by which the plant reacts to drought stress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MsTHI1 overexpression improves drought tolerance in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Yin

Wang

et al. 2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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In recent years, drought stress caused by global warming has become a major constraint on agriculture. The thiamine thiazole synthase (THI1) is responsible for controlling thiamine production in plants displaying a response to various abiotic stresses. Nonetheless, most of the THI1 activities in plants remain largely unknown. In this study, we extracted MsTHI1 from alfalfa and demonstrated its beneficial impact on improving the resistance of plants to stress conditions. The highest levels of MsTHI1 expression were identified in alfalfa leaves, triggered by exposure to cold, drought, salt, or alkaline conditions. The upregulation of MsTHI1 in drought-stressed transgenic plants resulted in enhanced accumulation of vitamin B1 (VB1), chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b), soluble protein, higher soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD) value, and the activity of peroxidase (POD), maintained Fv/Fm, and decreased lipid peroxidation. Moreover, overexpression of MsTHI1 upregulated the transcription of THI4, TPK1, RbcX2, Cu/Zn-SOD, CPK13, and CPK32 and downregulated the transcription of TH1 and CPK17 in transgenic alfalfa under drought stress. These results suggested that MsTHI1 enhances drought tolerance by strengthening photosynthesis, regulating the antioxidant defense system, maintaining osmotic homeostasis, and mediating plant signal transduction.

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Identification of Exogenous Nitric Oxide-Responsive miRNAs from Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under Drought Stress by High-Throughput Sequencing

Cited by 21 publications

References 69 publications

MicroRNAs: Potential Targets for Developing Stress-Tolerant Crops

MicroRNAs: Potential Targets for Developing Stress-Tolerant Crops

Salicylic Acid and Nitric Oxide: Insight Into the Transcriptional Regulation of Their Metabolism and Regulatory Functions in Plants

MsTHI1 overexpression improves drought tolerance in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

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