Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.

Plants respond to biotic stressors by modulating various processes in an attempt to limit the attack by a pathogen or herbivore. Triggering these different defense processes requires orchestration of a network of proteins and RNA molecules that includes microRNAs (miRNAs). These short RNA molecules...

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Main Authors: Savio S Ferreira, Suman Pandey, Jesseca Hemminger, Serdar Bozdag, Mauricio S Antunes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318532
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author Savio S Ferreira
Suman Pandey
Jesseca Hemminger
Serdar Bozdag
Mauricio S Antunes
author_facet Savio S Ferreira
Suman Pandey
Jesseca Hemminger
Serdar Bozdag
Mauricio S Antunes
author_sort Savio S Ferreira
collection DOAJ
description Plants respond to biotic stressors by modulating various processes in an attempt to limit the attack by a pathogen or herbivore. Triggering these different defense processes requires orchestration of a network of proteins and RNA molecules that includes microRNAs (miRNAs). These short RNA molecules (20-22 nucleotides) have been shown to be important players in the early responses of plants to stresses because they can rapidly regulate the expression levels of a network of downstream genes. The ascomycete Fusarium graminearum is an important fungal pathogen that causes significant losses in cereal crops worldwide. Using the well-characterized Fusarium-Arabidopsis pathosystem, we investigated how plants change expression of their miRNAs globally during the early stages of infection by F. graminearum. We have created a catalog of miRNAs that have differential expression in infected samples even before any visual symptoms of the infection are present. In addition to miRNAs that have been previously implicated in stress responses, we have also identified evolutionarily young miRNAs whose levels change significantly in response to fungal infection. Some of these young miRNAs have homologs present in cereals, which suggest that some of these miRNAs could be drivers of stress response. By examining if the miRNAs in this catalog have causal roles in plant infection response, a unique path toward development of plants with increased resistance to fungal pathogens can be developed.
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spelling doaj-art-eb473b2e929144049bf049e966ae13332025-02-12T05:31:16ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01202e031853210.1371/journal.pone.0318532Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.Savio S FerreiraSuman PandeyJesseca HemmingerSerdar BozdagMauricio S AntunesPlants respond to biotic stressors by modulating various processes in an attempt to limit the attack by a pathogen or herbivore. Triggering these different defense processes requires orchestration of a network of proteins and RNA molecules that includes microRNAs (miRNAs). These short RNA molecules (20-22 nucleotides) have been shown to be important players in the early responses of plants to stresses because they can rapidly regulate the expression levels of a network of downstream genes. The ascomycete Fusarium graminearum is an important fungal pathogen that causes significant losses in cereal crops worldwide. Using the well-characterized Fusarium-Arabidopsis pathosystem, we investigated how plants change expression of their miRNAs globally during the early stages of infection by F. graminearum. We have created a catalog of miRNAs that have differential expression in infected samples even before any visual symptoms of the infection are present. In addition to miRNAs that have been previously implicated in stress responses, we have also identified evolutionarily young miRNAs whose levels change significantly in response to fungal infection. Some of these young miRNAs have homologs present in cereals, which suggest that some of these miRNAs could be drivers of stress response. By examining if the miRNAs in this catalog have causal roles in plant infection response, a unique path toward development of plants with increased resistance to fungal pathogens can be developed.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318532
spellingShingle Savio S Ferreira
Suman Pandey
Jesseca Hemminger
Serdar Bozdag
Mauricio S Antunes
Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.
PLoS ONE
title Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.
title_full Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.
title_fullStr Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.
title_full_unstemmed Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.
title_short Early changes in microRNA expression in Arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.
title_sort early changes in microrna expression in arabidopsis plants infected with the fungal pathogen fusarium graminearum
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318532
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AT jessecahemminger earlychangesinmicrornaexpressioninarabidopsisplantsinfectedwiththefungalpathogenfusariumgraminearum
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