Role of Long Noncoding RNAs ZlMSTRG.11348 and UeMSTRG.02678 in Temperature-Dependent Culm Swelling in .

Temperature influences the physiological processes and ecology of both hosts and endophytes; however, it remains unclear how long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate the consequences of temperature-dependent changes in host-pathogen interactions. To explore the role of lncRNAs in culm gall formation induced by the smut fungus in , we employed RNA sequencing to identify lncRNAs and their potential -targets in and under different temperatures. In and , we identified 3194 and 173 lncRNAs as well as 126 and four potential target genes for differentially expressed lncRNAs, respectively. Further function and expression analysis revealed that lncRNA ZlMSTRG.11348 regulates amino acid metabolism in and lncRNA UeMSTRG.02678 regulates amino acid transport in . The plant defence response was also found to be regulated by lncRNAs and suppressed in infected with grown at 25 °C, which may result from the expression of effector genes in . Moreover, in infected with , the expression of genes related to phytohormones was altered under different temperatures. Our results demonstrate that lncRNAs are important components of the regulatory networks in plant-microbe-environment interactions, and may play a part in regulating culm swelling in plants.