Pre-meiotic 21-nucleotide reproductive phasiRNAs emerged in seed plants and diversified in flowering plants

Abstract

Pre-meiotic anthers of monocots accumulate phased, small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs) that are absent in many well-studied model eudicots. Here, the authors show that such 21-nt phasiRNAs are in fact present in diverse eudicot species including strawberry, in which production is triggered by miR11308.