Evolutionary footprints reveal insights into plant MicroRNA biogenesis
Author
Chorostecki, Uciel
Moro, Belen
Rojas, Arantxa M.L.
Debernardi, Juan M.
Schapire, Arnaldo L.
Notredame, Cedric
Palatnik, Javier F.
Publication date
2017ISSN
1040-4651
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs that recognize target sequences by base complementarity and play a role in the regulation of target gene expression. They are processed from longer precursor molecules that harbor a fold-back structure. Plant miRNA precursors are quite variable in size and shape, and are recognized by the processing machinery in different ways. However, ancient miRNAs and their binding sites in target genes are conserved during evolution. Here, we designed a strategy to systematically analyze MIRNAs from different species generating a graphical representation of the conservation of the primary sequence and secondary structure. We found that plant MIRNAs have evolutionary footprints that go beyond the small RNA sequence itself, yet their location along the precursor depends on the specific MIRNA. We show that these conserved regions correspond to structural determinants recognized during the biogenesis of plant miRNAs. Furthermore, we found that the members of the miR166 family have unusual conservation patterns and demonstrated that the recognition of these precursors in vivo differs from other known miRNAs. Our results describe a link between the evolutionary conservation of plant MIRNAs and the mechanisms underlying the biogenesis of these small RNAs and show that the MIRNA pattern of conservation can be used to infer the mode of miRNA biogenesis.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
5 - Natural Sciences
Keywords
Ciències Biològiques
Ciències de les plantes
Ciències forestals
Ciència i matemàtiques
Ciencias Biológicas
Ciencias de las plantas
Ciencias forestales
Ciencia y matemáticas
Biological Sciences
Plant Sciences
Forestry sciences
Science and mathematics
Pages
13
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Collection
29; 6
Is part of
The Plant Cell
Citation
Chorostecki, Uciel; Moro, Belen; Rojas, Arantxa M.L. [et al.]. Evolutionary footprints reveal insights into plant MicroRNA biogenesis. The Plant Cell, 2017, 29(6), p. 1248.1261. Disponible en: <https://academic.oup.com/plcell/article/29/6/1248/6099353?login=true>. Fecha de acceso: 7 feb. 2024. DOI: 10.1105/tpc.17.00272
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Ciències Bàsiques [65]
Rights
© 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model)