Identification and characterization of melon circular RNAs involved in powdery mildew responses through comparative transcriptome analysis
Jianlei Sun,
Yumei Dong,
Chongqi Wang,
Shouhua Xiao,
Zigao Jiao,
Chao Gao
Affiliations
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, Jinan, China
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, Jinan, China
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, Jinan, China
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, Jinan, China
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, Jinan, China
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, Jinan, China
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.
