Silenced retrotransposons are major rasiRNAs targets in Arabidopsis galls induced by Meloidogyne javanica

• DOI: 10.1111/mpp.12720
• Publication Date: 2018-07-16T14:04:54Z
• Authors: Virginia Ruiz‐Ferrer; Javier Cabrera; Isabel Martinez‐A...; Haydeé Artaza; Carmen Fenoll; Carolina Escobar
• Keywords: Endoreduplication

SUMMARY Root‐knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne spp.) are sedentary biotrophic pathogens that establish within the vascular cylinder of plant roots, forming a gall and inducing several feeding cells, giant cells (GCs), essential for completion their life cycle. GCs suffer gene expression changes, repeated mitosis endoreduplication events. Transcriptomics has revealed an extensive down‐regulation transcripts, molecular signature early‐developing galls is conserved in tomato Arabidopsis, may be achieved through small RNA (sRNA) silencing pathways. The role some microRNAs (miRNAs) plant–RKN interactions recently been addressed, but little known about regulatory roles other sRNA types. Here, we perform differential accumulation analysis to show which repeat‐associated interfering RNAs (rasiRNAs) distinctive or enriched early Arabidopsis vs. uninfected roots. Those from preferentially located pericentromeric regions with predominant sizes 24 22 nucleotides. Gall‐distinctive rasiRNAs target primarily GYPSY COPIA retrotransposons, marked repression Infection tests phenotypic studies javanica mutants impaired post‐transcriptional and/or canonical RNA‐directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathways, as well quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, suggest implication non‐canonical RdDM pathways during formation, possibly regulation retrotransposons. This process crucial maintenance genome integrity reprogramming galls/GCs precursor ensure faithful replication mitosis/endoreduplication concurs site formation.