Enhancing Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae sensitivity in kiwifruit by repressing the NBS-LRR genes through miRNA-215-3p and miRNA-29-3p identification

Chengyao Jiang; Xiaoying Zhang; Jiahui Rao; Shu Luo; Liang Luo; Wei Lu; Mengyao Li; Shumei Zhao; Dan Ren; Jiaming Liu; Yu Song; Yangxia Zheng; Yin-Biao Sun

doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1403869

Enhancing Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae sensitivity in kiwifruit by repressing the NBS-LRR genes through miRNA-215-3p and miRNA-29-3p identification

Front Plant Sci. 2024 Jul 17:15:1403869. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1403869. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Chengyao Jiang^#¹, Xiaoying Zhang^#², Jiahui Rao^#¹, Shu Luo², Liang Luo², Wei Lu¹, Mengyao Li¹, Shumei Zhao³, Dan Ren², Jiaming Liu², Yu Song⁴, Yangxia Zheng¹, Yin-Biao Sun⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
² Laboratory of Crop Immune Gene Editing Technology, Newsun Research Institute of Biotechnology, Chengdu, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Research Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, China.
⁵ Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Kiwifruit bacterial canker, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (PSA), poses a grave threat to the global kiwifruit industry. In this study, we examined the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in kiwifruit's response to PSA. Kiwifruit seedlings subjected to PSA treatment showed significant changes in both miRNA and gene expression compared to the control group. We identified 364 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and 7170 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Further analysis revealed 180 miRNAs negatively regulating 641 mRNAs. Notably, two miRNAs from the miRNA482 family, miRNA-215-3p and miRNA-29-3p, were found to increase kiwifruit's sensitivity to PSA when overexpressed. These miRNAs were linked to the regulation of NBS-LRR target genes, shedding light on their role in kiwifruit's defence against PSA. This study offers insights into the miRNA482-NBS-LRR network as a crucial component in enhancing kiwifruit bioresistance to PSA infestation and provides promising candidate genes for further research.

Keywords: DEMs and DEGs; Kiwifruit bacterial canker; NBS-LRR; PSA; miRNA-215-3p and miRNA-29-3p.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32202581) to CJ, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021MD703889) to YS, the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (2022NSFSC1759) to CJ, and the Central Guidance on Local Science and Technology Development Fund of Shaanxi Province (no 2022ZY1-CGZY-07) to YZ. The Newsun Research Institute of Biotechnology is funded by Chengdu NewSun Crop Science.