School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture, Harbin 150030, China; College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
Gene. 2020 Apr 20;735:144403. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.144403. Epub 2020 Jan 28.
Melon (Cucumis melo L.), an economically beneficial crop widely cultivated around the world, is vulnerable to powdery mildew (PM). However, the studies on molecular mechanism of melon response to PM fungi is still limited. Long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as new regulators in plants response to biotic stresses. We predicted and identified the intricate regulatory roles of lncRNAs in melon response to PM fungi. A total of 539 lncRNAs were identified from PM-resistant (MR-1) and susceptible melon (Top Mark), in which 254 were significantly altered after PM fungi infection. Multiple target genes of lncRNAs were found to be involved in the hydrolysis of chitin, callose deposition and cell wall thickening, plant-pathogen interaction and plant hormone signal transduction pathway. Additionally, a total of 42 lncRNAs possess the various functions with microRNAs (miRNAs), including lncRNAs that are targeted by miRNAs and function as miRNA precursors or miRNA sponges. These findings provide a comprehensive view of potentially functional lncRNAs, corresponding target genes and related lncRNA-miRNA pairs, which will greatly increase our knowledge of the mechanism underlying susceptibility and resistance to PM in melon.
甜瓜（Cucumis melo L.）是一种经济价值很高的作物，在世界各地广泛种植，但容易受到白粉病（PM）的侵害。然而，关于甜瓜对 PM 真菌响应的分子机制的研究仍然有限。长链非编码 RNA（lncRNAs）作为植物应对生物胁迫的新调节因子而出现。我们预测并鉴定了 lncRNAs 在甜瓜对 PM 真菌响应中的复杂调节作用。从 PM 抗性（MR-1）和易感甜瓜（Top Mark）中总共鉴定了 539 个 lncRNAs，其中 254 个在 PM 真菌感染后发生显著变化。lncRNAs 的多个靶基因被发现参与几丁质水解、胼胝质沉积和细胞壁增厚、植物-病原体相互作用和植物激素信号转导途径。此外，共有 42 个 lncRNAs 具有与 microRNAs（miRNAs）的各种功能，包括被 miRNAs 靶向并作为 miRNA 前体或 miRNA 海绵的 lncRNAs。这些发现提供了一个潜在功能 lncRNAs、相应靶基因和相关 lncRNA-miRNA 对的全面视图，这将极大地增加我们对甜瓜对 PM 易感性和抗性的机制的认识。
