Pea aphid miRNAs and plasticity
Pea aphids encode dozens of miRNAs whose expression tracks phenotypic plasticity.
Source
Bioinformatic prediction, deep sequencing of microRNAs and expression analysis during phenotypic plasticity in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum
What they did
Combined homology, deep sequencing (~3M reads), and genome scans to predict miRNAs, then RT-PCR validated many and compared morphs.
What they found
43 putative miRNAs (44 precursors); 33 validated by RT-PCR; size peak at 22 nt.
The limits
What it doesn't show
Does not fully prove each miRNA’s causal target network in every morph.
Key terms
- miRNA
- Small noncoding RNA regulating gene expression.
- Phenotypic plasticity
- Same genotype, different phenotypes by environment.
- Acyrthosiphon pisum
- Pea aphid model insect.
- miRDeep
- Algorithm to find miRNAs in small-RNA data.
- Hairpin precursor
- Folded pre-miRNA structure.
- Parthenogenetic females
- Asexual reproductive morph sampled.
Flashcards
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Putative miRNAs:
Common questions
Putative miRNAs?
43.
RT-PCR validated?
33.
Deep-seq reads?
~3 million.
Mature length peak?
22 nt.
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