Comparative analysis of miRNAs of two rapeseed genotypes in response to acetohydroxyacid synthase-inhibiting herbicides by high-throughput sequencing

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), also called acetolactate synthase, is a key enzyme involved in the first step of the biosynthesis of the branched-chain amino acids valine, isoleucine and leucine. Acetohydroxyacid synthase-inhibiting herbicides (AHAS herbicides) are five chemical families of herbicides that inhibit AHAS enzymes, including imidazolinones (IMI), sulfonylureas (SU), pyrimidinylthiobenzoates, triazolinones and triazolopyrimidines. Five AHAS genes have been identified in rapeseed, but little information is available regarding the role of miRNAs in response to AHAS herbicides. In this study, an AHAS herbicides tolerant genotype and a sensitive genotype were used for miRNA comparative analysis. A total of 20 small RNA libraries were obtained of these two genotypes at three time points (0h, 24 h and 48 h) after spraying SU and IMI herbicides with two replicates. We identified 940 conserved miRNAs and 1515 novel candidate miRNAs in Brassica napus using high-throughput sequencing methods combined with computing analysis. A total of 3284 genes were predicted to be targets of these miRNAs, and their functions were shown using GO, KOG and KEGG annotations. The differentiation expression results of miRNAs showed almost twice as many differentiated miRNAs were found in tolerant genotype M342 (309 miRNAs) after SU herbicide application than in sensitive genotype N131 (164 miRNAs). In additiond 177 and 296 miRNAs defined as differentiated in sensitive genotype and tolerant genotype in response to SU herbicides. The miR398 family was observed to be associated with AHAS herbicide tolerance because their expression increased in the tolerant genotype but decreased in the sensitive genotype. Moreover, 50 novel miRNAs from 39 precursors were predicted. There were 8 conserved miRNAs, 4 novel miRNAs and 3 target genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR experiment. This study not only provides novel insights into the miRNA content of AHAS herbicides tolerant rapeseed in response to AHAS herbicides, but also demonstrates that miRNAs may be involved in AHAS herbicides tolerance.