野生大豆（Glycine soja）是世界上种植面积最广的作物之一。相比于栽培大豆，野生大豆能够更好地适应自然环境的胁迫如干旱，碱，盐胁迫。对野生大豆的性状进行系统研究，将有助于栽培大豆的遗传改良。近日，华南农业大学亚热带农业生物资源保护与利用国家重点实验室年海教授领衔的课题组联合使用第二代高通量测序技术对铝胁迫下野生大豆miRNA及其靶基因进行鉴定和系统分析，新发现了一批的野生大豆miRNA和其作用的靶基因*。该研究成果发表在10月刊的BMC Plant Biology上。

MicroRNA（miRNA）是一类调控真核生物广泛生理过程的内源性非编码小RNA，它的调控作用是通过降解靶mRNA或是阻碍其翻译来实现。植物miRNA通常与其靶基因完全或是近乎完全匹配，引起mRNA的降解。在植物中，miRNA参与调控发育全过程以及对生物或非生物胁迫的应答。要确定miRNA的功能就必须首先鉴定它们的靶基因。降解组测序是近来兴起的一种高效的大规模鉴定植物miRNA靶基因的方案。
年海教授课题组以铝处理和无铝处理的野生大豆幼苗根为对象，构建了两个小RNA测序文库和两个降解组测序文库。利用miRNA测序发现野生大豆中97个已知miRNA和31个新的miRNA。此外，还发现49个已知miRNA对应的3P或5P链上的miRNA。在所有被鉴定的miRNA中，30个miRNA的表达与铝胁迫相关。进一步利用降解组测序，作者鉴定出已知miRNA的86个靶基因和测序发现miRNA的5个靶基因。GO富集分析结果显示52个保守miRNA家族的靶基因在转录调控中扮演着重要角色。同时还发现，一些与胁迫应答相关的基因如生长素响应因子（ARF）在铝胁迫条件下被miRNA剪切。
此项研究联合使用miRNA测序和降解组测序技术大规模系统地测定了铝胁迫下野生大豆的miRNA表达谱和靶基因及其功能，为深入理解铝胁迫下miRNA发挥的调控作用提供了重要信息。

此项研究中的小RNA测序和降解组测序工作是由联川生物公司提供技术服务。
* Zeng QY, Yang CY, Ma QB, Li XP, Dong WW, Nian H. (2012) Identification of wild soybean miRNAs and their target genes responsive to aluminum stress. BMC Plant Biol 12(1), 182.
联川生物小RNA测序和降解组测序用户近期发表文章索引
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