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. 2017 Jul 20;18(1):546.
doi: 10.1186/s12864-017-3923-z.

High throughput sequencing of small RNAs reveals dynamic microRNAs expression of lipid metabolism during Camellia oleifera and C. meiocarpa seed natural drying

Jin-Ling Feng  1 , Zhi-Jian Yang  1 , Shi-Pin Chen  1 , Yousry A El-Kassaby  2 , Hui Chen  3
Affiliations

High throughput sequencing of small RNAs reveals dynamic microRNAs expression of lipid metabolism during Camellia oleifera and C. meiocarpa seed natural drying

Jin-Ling Feng et al. BMC Genomics. .

Abstract

Background: Camellia species are ancient oilseed plants with a history of cultivation over two thousand years. Prior to oil extraction, natural seed drying is often practiced, a process affecting fatty acid quality and quantity. MicroRNAs (miRNA) of lipid metabolism associated with camellia seed natural drying are unexplored. To obtain insight into the function of miRNAs in lipid metabolism during natural drying, Illumina sequencing of C. oleifera and C. meiocarpa small-RNA was conducted.

Results: A total of 274 candidate miRNAs were identified and 3733 target unigenes were annotated by performing a BLASTX. Through integrated GO and KEGG function annotation, 23 miRNA regulating 131 target genes were identified as lipid metabolism, regulating fatty acid biosynthesis, accumulation and catabolism. We observed one, two, and four miRNAs of lipid metabolism which were specially expressed in C. Meiocarpa, C. oleifera, and the two species collectively, respectively. At 30% moisture contents, C. meiocarpa and C. oleifer produced nine and eight significant differentially expressed miRNAs, respectively, with high fatty acid synthesis and accumulation activities. Across the two species, 12 significant differentially expressed miRNAs were identified at the 50% moisture content.

Conclusions: Sequencing of small-RNA revealed the presence of 23 miRNAs regulating lipid metabolism in camellia seed during natural drying and permitted comparative miRNA profiles between C. Meiocarpa and C. oleifera. Furthermore, this study successfully identified the best drying environment at which the quantity and quality of lipid in camellia seed are at its maximum.

Keywords: Camellia meiocarpa; Camellia oleifera; Lipid metabolism; Natural drying; miRNAs.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Length distributions of small RNAs in two camellia species. Data of C. meiocarpa and C. oleifera were averaged across five level moisture content (50, 40, 30, 20 and 10%) for each species separately
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
First nucleotide (a) and position nucleotide (b) biases of miRNA in two camellia species
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
GO categories and distribution of miRNA targets in two camellia species
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
qRT-PCR validation of miRNA in C. meiocarpa and C. oleifera. Relative expression of miRNA in 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% moisture contents. Reference gene was 5.8 rRNA. Normalized miRNA in 50% moisture content of C. oleifera were arbitrarily set to 1. Error bars were calculated based on three replicates
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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