Comparative transcriptome analysis uncovers regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs involved in resistance to powdery mildew in melon
Chao Gao,
Jianlei Sun,
Yumei Dong,
Chongqi Wang,
Shouhua Xiao,
Longfei Mo,
Zigao Jiao
Affiliations
Chao Gao
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
Jianlei Sun
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
Yumei Dong
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
Chongqi Wang
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
Shouhua Xiao
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
Longfei Mo
College of horticulture, Jilin Agricultural University
Zigao Jiao
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
Abstract Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with more than 200 nucleotides in length, which play vital roles in a wide range of biological processes. Powdery mildew disease (PM) has become a major threat to the production of melon. To investigate the potential roles of lncRNAs in resisting to PM in melon, it is necessary to identify lncRNAs and uncover their molecular functions. In this study, we compared the lncRNAs between a resistant and a susceptible melon in response to PM infection. Results It is reported that 11,612 lncRNAs were discovered, which were distributed across all 12 melon chromosomes, and > 85% were from intergenic regions. The melon lncRNAs have shorter transcript lengths and fewer exon numbers than protein-coding genes. In addition, a total of 407 and 611 lncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed after PM infection in PM-susceptible and PM-resistant melons, respectively. Furthermore, 1232 putative targets of differently expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were discovered and gene ontology enrichment (GO) analysis showed that these target genes were mainly enriched in stress-related terms. Consequently, co-expression patterns between LNC_018800 and CmWRKY21, LNC_018062 and MELO3C015771 (glutathione reductase coding gene), LNC_014937 and CmMLO5 were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Moreover, we also identified 24 lncRNAs that act as microRNA (miRNA) precursors, 43 lncRNAs as potential targets of 22 miRNA families and 13 lncRNAs as endogenous target mimics (eTMs) for 11 miRNAs. Conclusion This study shows the first characterization of lncRNAs involved in PM resistance in melon and provides a starting point for further investigation into the functions and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in the resistance to PM.
