Scientific Journal

Bioinformatic Identification of miRNA and Expression Analysis of Some miRNA Target Genes in Response to Corms Infected With Fusarium oxysporum

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Plant Production and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran

Abstract
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a triploid (2n = 3x = 24) and self-incompatible; it is unable to produce seeds and hence propagates exclusively through corms. Since corms remain in the field soil for several years, various diseases, including saffron corm rot, cause significant reductions in yield and quality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA molecules, play an important role in regulating plant responses to pathogens. In this study, a computational approach was applied using BLASTx to compare the transcriptome of saffron corms infected with Fusarium oxysporum against the miRBase database, to identify miRNAs and their target genes. Fourteen miRNAs were identified, among which three miRNAs including miR160, miR393, and miR11108 showed significant differential expression. Functional analysis indicated that the target genes of miR160 are involved in key metabolic processes, including carbohydrate biosynthesis, stomatal opening and closure, drought response, biotic stress response, and phytohormone transport. Expression analysis further revealed that the genes Mpg1, RabE1c, and AbcG were differentially regulated upon infection with F. oxysporum. Among these, Mpg1 and AbcG showed the highest and the lowest expression after infection, respectively. Overall, the findings demonstrate that target genes of regulatory miRNAs in the saffron transcriptome undergo expression changes in response to corm rot disease. These results provide valuable insights that may support breeding strategies aimed at developing resistance to saffron corm rot.

Keywords

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