Spatiotemporal regulation of target mRNA cleavage by 21-nt phasiRNAs in maize anthers.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40498447.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2422647122 and PMC identifier 12184425.
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Abstract
21-nt phasiRNAs are abundantly expressed in anthers and play crucial roles in anther development and male reproduction in grasses. In maize, the target genes that 21-nt phasiRNAs regulate remain largely unknown. Here, we show that 21-nt phasiRNAs direct the cleavage of hundreds of target mRNAs in maize. Interestingly, while 21-nt phasiRNAs in anthers (somatic anther wall cells) do not have obvious preference for a particular nucleotide at the 5' end and target genes implicated in stress response and cellular homeostasis, 21-nt phasiRNAs in male germ cells preferentially initiate with 5' C and target genes related to meiotic processes in a ZmAGO5c-dependent manner. Our results indicate that mRNA cleavage is a conserved mechanism used by 21-nt phasiRNAs for gene regulation in grasses. However, the sequences of 21-nt phasiRNAs and their targets show little conservation in maize and rice, suggesting that <i>21PHAS</i> loci and 21-nt phasiRNA targets have undergone fast divergence in grasses.
Medical subject headings
- Zea mays
- Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
- RNA, Messenger
- Flowers
- RNA, Plant
- MicroRNAs