The Interactions between the Long Non-coding RNA NERDL and Its Target Gene Affect Wood Formation in Populus tomentosa

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulatory factors for plant growth and development, but little is known about the allelic interactions of lncRNAs with mRNA in perennial plants. Here, we analyzed the interaction of the NERD (Needed for RDR2-independent DNA methylation) Populus tomentosa gene PtoNERD with its putative regulator, the lncRNA NERDL (NERD-related lncRNA), which partially overlaps with the promoter region of this gene. Expression analysis in eight tissues showed a positive correlation between NERDL and PtoNERD (r = 0.62), suggesting that the interaction of NERDL with its putative target might be involved in wood formation. We conducted association mapping in a natural population of P. tomentosa (435 unrelated individuals) to evaluate genetic variation and the interaction of the lncRNA NERDL with PtoNERD. Using additive and dominant models, we identified 30 SNPs (P < 0.01) associated with five tree growth and wood property traits. Each SNP explained 3.90–8.57% of phenotypic variance, suggesting that NERDL and its putative target play a common role in wood formation. Epistasis analysis uncovered nine SNP-SNP association pairs between NERDL and PtoNERD, with an information gain of -7.55 to 2.16%, reflecting the strong interactions between NERDL and its putative target. This analysis provides a powerful method for deciphering the genetic interactions of lncRNAs with mRNA and dissecting the complex genetic network of quantitative traits in trees.