Evolution of microRNA genes by inverted duplication of target gene sequences in Arabidopsis thaliana

Edwards Allen; Zhixin Xie; Adam M. Gustafson; Gi Ho Sung; Joseph W. Spatafora; James C. Carrington

doi:10.1038/ng1478

Evolution of microRNA genes by inverted duplication of target gene sequences in Arabidopsis thaliana

Edwards Allen, Zhixin Xie, Adam M. Gustafson, Gi Ho Sung, Joseph W. Spatafora, James C. Carrington

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508 Scopus citations

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in plants and animals function as post-transcriptional regulators of target genes, many of which are involved in multicellular development. miRNAs guide effector complexes to target mRNAs through base-pair complementarity, facilitating site-specific cleavage or translational repression. Biogenesis of miRNAs involves nucleolytic processing of a precursor transcript with extensive foldback structure. Here, we provide evidence that genes encoding miRNAs in plants originated by inverted duplication of target gene sequences. Several recently evolved genes encoding miRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana and other small RNA-generating loci possess the hallmarks of inverted duplication events that formed the arms on each side of their respective foldback precursors. We propose a model for miRNA evolution that suggests a mechanism for de novo generation of new miRNA genes with unique target specificities.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1282-1290
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nature Genetics
Volume	36
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1478
State	Published - Dec 2004

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title = "Evolution of microRNA genes by inverted duplication of target gene sequences in Arabidopsis thaliana",

abstract = "MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in plants and animals function as post-transcriptional regulators of target genes, many of which are involved in multicellular development. miRNAs guide effector complexes to target mRNAs through base-pair complementarity, facilitating site-specific cleavage or translational repression. Biogenesis of miRNAs involves nucleolytic processing of a precursor transcript with extensive foldback structure. Here, we provide evidence that genes encoding miRNAs in plants originated by inverted duplication of target gene sequences. Several recently evolved genes encoding miRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana and other small RNA-generating loci possess the hallmarks of inverted duplication events that formed the arms on each side of their respective foldback precursors. We propose a model for miRNA evolution that suggests a mechanism for de novo generation of new miRNA genes with unique target specificities.",

author = "Edwards Allen and Zhixin Xie and Gustafson, {Adam M.} and Sung, {Gi Ho} and Spatafora, {Joseph W.} and Carrington, {James C.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank S. Givan, D. Smith and C. Sullivan for assistance and advice with computational resources; L. Johansen for initial propagation of the rdr6-15 mutant; and S. Poethig and H. Vaucheret for discussions about trans-acting siRNAs and the suggestion to analyze miR161 in multiple dcl1 mutated alleles. This work was supported by grants from the US National Science Foundation, the US National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture.",

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doi = "10.1038/ng1478",

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volume = "36",

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AU - Allen, Edwards

AU - Xie, Zhixin

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AU - Sung, Gi Ho

AU - Spatafora, Joseph W.

AU - Carrington, James C.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank S. Givan, D. Smith and C. Sullivan for assistance and advice with computational resources; L. Johansen for initial propagation of the rdr6-15 mutant; and S. Poethig and H. Vaucheret for discussions about trans-acting siRNAs and the suggestion to analyze miR161 in multiple dcl1 mutated alleles. This work was supported by grants from the US National Science Foundation, the US National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture.

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N2 - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in plants and animals function as post-transcriptional regulators of target genes, many of which are involved in multicellular development. miRNAs guide effector complexes to target mRNAs through base-pair complementarity, facilitating site-specific cleavage or translational repression. Biogenesis of miRNAs involves nucleolytic processing of a precursor transcript with extensive foldback structure. Here, we provide evidence that genes encoding miRNAs in plants originated by inverted duplication of target gene sequences. Several recently evolved genes encoding miRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana and other small RNA-generating loci possess the hallmarks of inverted duplication events that formed the arms on each side of their respective foldback precursors. We propose a model for miRNA evolution that suggests a mechanism for de novo generation of new miRNA genes with unique target specificities.

AB - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in plants and animals function as post-transcriptional regulators of target genes, many of which are involved in multicellular development. miRNAs guide effector complexes to target mRNAs through base-pair complementarity, facilitating site-specific cleavage or translational repression. Biogenesis of miRNAs involves nucleolytic processing of a precursor transcript with extensive foldback structure. Here, we provide evidence that genes encoding miRNAs in plants originated by inverted duplication of target gene sequences. Several recently evolved genes encoding miRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana and other small RNA-generating loci possess the hallmarks of inverted duplication events that formed the arms on each side of their respective foldback precursors. We propose a model for miRNA evolution that suggests a mechanism for de novo generation of new miRNA genes with unique target specificities.

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Evolution of microRNA genes by inverted duplication of target gene sequences in Arabidopsis thaliana

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