Cao Weilin, Pan Xiangming, Yu Ru, Sheng Yuting, Zhang Hongxia
The Engineering Research Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong, China.
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou, Shandong, China.
Microbiol Spectr. 2025 May 6;13(5):e0199824. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01998-24. Epub 2025 Mar 26.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in regulating diverse biological processes across plants, mammals, and fungi. However, the information on lncRNAs in oomycete asexual and sexual reproduction, which are two pivotal processes in the pathogenic cycle, has not been elucidated. In this present study, strand-specific RNA sequencing data of with asexual development and sexual reproduction were reanalyzed, and a total of 4,399 lncRNAs were systematically identified. Compared to messenger RNAs (mRNAs), lncRNAs had a higher proportion of transcripts containing more than one exon, shorter nucleotide lengths, and lower expression levels. Target analysis showed that although only 280 lncRNA-mRNA pairs were shared, the functional pathways in which and targets participated were similar. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRs) and differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRs) of asexual development stages indicated that lncRNAs might participate in different asexual stages and transformation of the growth stages via regulating functional genes. Expression trend analysis of DElncRs and DEmRs showed that lncRNAs may promote asexual development via upregulating mRNAs encoding development- and invasion-related proteins, such as INF6, triosephosphate isomerase, and glycoprotein elicitor. Co-expression analysis of DElncRs and DEmRs of sexual reproduction showed that lncRNAs could increase the level of mRNAs related to mating, such as M96 mating-specific protein and Crinkler family protein, which meant that lncRNAs might participate in sexual reproduction by regulating mating-related genes. Our study conducted a comprehensive analysis of lncRNAs in and suggested a potential function of lncRNAs in asexual and sexual development.
This study systematically analyzed lncRNAs in , revealing the associations between lncRNAs and functional genes. The potential regulatory roles of lncRNAs in the asexual and sexual reproduction stages were clarified, providing a new perspective for in-depth understanding of the reproductive regulatory network of oomycetes. This not only expands the understanding of the functions of non-coding RNAs in different biological groups but also provides potential targets for the development of new disease prevention and control strategies, promoting related research in the fields of agriculture and biology.
长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）在调节植物、哺乳动物和真菌等多种生物过程中发挥着关键作用。然而，卵菌无性繁殖和有性繁殖（致病周期中的两个关键过程）中lncRNA的相关信息尚未阐明。在本研究中，对具有无性发育和有性繁殖的链特异性RNA测序数据进行了重新分析，系统鉴定出总共4399个lncRNA。与信使RNA（mRNA）相比，lncRNA具有更高比例的包含多个外显子的转录本、更短的核苷酸长度和更低的表达水平。靶标分析表明，虽然仅共享280个lncRNA-mRNA对，但靶标参与的功能途径相似。无性发育阶段差异表达lncRNA（DElncR）和差异表达mRNA（DEmR）的加权基因共表达网络分析表明，lncRNA可能通过调节功能基因参与不同的无性阶段和生长阶段的转变。DElncR和DEmR的表达趋势分析表明，lncRNA可能通过上调编码与发育和侵染相关蛋白（如INF6、磷酸丙糖异构酶和糖蛋白激发子）的mRNA来促进无性发育。有性繁殖的DElncR和DEmR的共表达分析表明，lncRNA可以增加与交配相关的mRNA水平，如M96交配特异性蛋白和卷曲蛋白家族蛋白，这意味着lncRNA可能通过调节交配相关基因参与有性繁殖。我们的研究对中的lncRNA进行了全面分析，并提出了lncRNA在无性和有性发育中的潜在功能。
本研究系统分析了中的lncRNA，揭示了lncRNA与功能基因之间的关联。阐明了lncRNA在无性和有性繁殖阶段的潜在调控作用，为深入了解卵菌的生殖调控网络提供了新的视角。这不仅扩展了对不同生物群体中非编码RNA功能的理解，还为开发新的疾病防控策略提供了潜在靶点，促进了农业和生物学领域的相关研究。
