Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing Conferred by the Ectopic Expression of the Grapevine miRNA-g1 and Inhibition of the Response by Anti-miRNA-g1 Inhibitor

• Published in: Agriculture Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 137 - 143
• Main Authors: Repka, Vladimír, Čarná, Mária
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Slovak
• Published: Bratislava Versita 01.12.2011; De Gruyter Poland
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Cell death; Ethanol; Gene expression; gene silencing; methyl jasmonate; MicroRNAs; protoplast; small RNA; Vitis vinifera L; United States > US; Slovakia
• ISSN: 0551-3677; 1338-4376
• DOI: 10.2478/v10207-011-0014-z

Our results show that a subset (miRNA cluster 1) of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Limberger) microRNAs (miRNAs) can be strongly induced by different apoptosis inducers including methyl jasmonate (MeJA), botrycin, cinerein and/or H2O2. We report here that the expression of endogenous miRNA-g1 and miRNA-g7 can be efficiently silenced in grapevine protoplasts using artificial miRNA (amiRNA) technology. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ectopic expression of amiRNAs (anti-mir miRNA-g1 and pre-mir miRNA-g1) designed to target a mature miRNA-g1 directs jasmonate-induced silencing against DAD1 protein (defender against death 1). These collective results strongly support the idea that a sub-population of grapevine miRNAs induced by apoptosis may function in one of the most critical defense systems for structural and mechanical fitness.