题目

Long noncoding RNAs underlie multiple domestication traits and leafhopper resistance in soybean

作者

Wang W, Duan J, Wang X, Feng X, Chen L, Clark CB, Swarm SA, Wang J, Lin S, Nelson RL, Meyers BC, Feng X*, Ma J*

发表年度

2024

刊物名称

Nature Genetics

摘要

The origin and functionality of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) remain poorly understood. Here, we show that multiple quantitative trait loci modulating distinct domestication traits in soybeans are pleiotropic effects of a locus composed of two tandem lncRNA genes. These lncRNA genes, each containing two inverted repeats, originating from coding sequences of the MYB genes, function in wild soybeans by generating clusters of small RNA (sRNA) species that inhibit the expression of their MYB gene relatives through post-transcriptional regulation. By contrast, the expression of lncRNA genes in cultivated soybeans is severely repressed, and, consequently, the corresponding MYB genes are highly expressed, shaping multiple distinct domestication traits as well as leafhopper resistance. The

inverted repeats were formed before the divergence of the Glycine genus from the Phaseolus–Vigna lineage and exhibit strong structure–function constraints. This study exemplifies a type of target for selection during plant domestication and identifies mechanisms of lncRNA formation and action.