The post-transcriptional regulatory environment in oomycetes, especially in the economically important Phytophthora infestans and P. sojae, is poorly understood. In particular, the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their potential roles in infection are a topic of increasing interest. In this study, we attempted to experimentally verify the existence of five miRNAs from both P. infestans and P. sojae, which had been predicted using in silico approaches. In addition, we investigated the possibility of these miRNAs playing a role in Phytophthora pathogenicity. The presence of two of the five miRNAs, namely miR8788, predicted in P. sojae, and miRNA3, predicted in P. infestans, was confirmed in vivo by amplification using specific stem-loop primers and subsequent cloning and sequencing. Analysis of miR8788 expression during pathogenesis revealed that the transcriptional activity of this miRNA increases considerably over the first 24 h postinoculation, suggesting potential involvement of miRNA in infection development by P. sojae.
Title
Validation and expression analysis of predicted miRNAs in Phytophthora infestans and Phytophthora sojae
Cassidy, M. and M. D. Ospina-Giraldo (2018) "Validation and expression analysis of predicted miRNAs in Phytophthora infestans and Phytophthora sojae." Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science 92 (1): 53-67.