Sun Jianlei, Dong Yumei, Wang Chongqi, Xiao Shouhua, Jiao Zigao, Gao Chao
Shandong Key Laboratory of Greenhouse Vegetable Biology, Shandong Branch of National Improvement Center for Vegetable, Vegetable Science Observation and Experiment Station in Huang huai District of Ministry of Agriculture (Shandong), Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China.
PeerJ. 2021 Apr 15;9:e11216. doi: 10.7717/peerj.11216. eCollection 2021.
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of newly discovered non-coding RNAs that are typically derived from a genome's exonic, intronic, and intergenic regions. Recent studies of circRNAs in animals and plants have shown that circRNAs are vital in response to various abiotic and biotic stresses. Powdery mildew disease (PM) is a serious fungal disease threatening the melon industry. We performed whole transcriptome sequencing using the leaves of a PM-resistant (M1) and a PM-susceptible (B29) melon to identify circRNAs and determine their molecular functions. A total of 303 circRNAs were identified and >50% circRNAs were derived from exonic regions. Expression levels were significantly altered in 17 and 23 circRNAs after PM infections in B29 and M1, respectively. Melon circRNAs may participate in the response to biotic stimuli, oxidation reduction, metabolic processes, and the regulation of gene expression based on the functional annotation of circRNA parental genes. Furthermore, 27 circRNAs were predicted to be potential targets or 'sponges' for 18 microRNAs (miRNAs). Our results are the first to identify and characterize circRNA functions in melon and may contribute to a better understanding of the role and regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in resisting PM.
环状RNA（circRNAs）是一类新发现的非编码RNA，通常来源于基因组的外显子、内含子和基因间区域。最近对动植物中circRNAs的研究表明，circRNAs在应对各种非生物和生物胁迫方面至关重要。白粉病（PM）是一种严重威胁甜瓜产业的真菌病害。我们使用抗白粉病（M1）和感白粉病（B29）甜瓜的叶片进行了全转录组测序，以鉴定circRNAs并确定其分子功能。共鉴定出303个circRNAs，其中>50%的circRNAs来源于外显子区域。在B29和M1中，白粉病感染后分别有17个和23个circRNAs的表达水平发生了显著变化。根据circRNA亲本基因的功能注释，甜瓜circRNAs可能参与生物刺激响应、氧化还原、代谢过程以及基因表达调控。此外，预测有27个circRNAs是18个微小RNA（miRNAs）的潜在靶标或“海绵”。我们的结果首次鉴定并表征了甜瓜中circRNA的功能，可能有助于更好地理解circRNAs在抗白粉病中的作用和调控机制。
