A novel Transposable element‐derived microRNA participates in plant immunity to rice blast disease

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non‐coding RNAs that direct post‐transcriptional gene silencing in plant development and stress responses through cleavage or translational repression of target mRNAs. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of a new member of the miR812 family in rice (named as miR812w) involved in disease resistance. miR812w is present in cultivated Oryza species, both japonica and indica subspecies, and wild rice species within the Oryza genus, but not in dicotyledonous species. miR812w is a 24nt‐long that requires DCL3 for its biogenesis and is loaded into AGO4 proteins. Whereas overexpression of miR812w increased resistance to infection by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated MIR812w editing enhances disease susceptibility, supporting that miR812w plays a role in blast resistance. We show that miR812w derives from the Stowaway type of rice MITEs (Miniature Inverted‐Repeat Transposable Elements). Moreover, miR812w directs DNA methylation in trans at target genes that have integrated a Stowaway MITE copy into their 3′ or 5′ untranslated region (ACO3, CIPK10, LRR genes), as well as in cis at the MIR812w locus. The target genes of miR812 were found to be hypo‐methylated around the miR812 recognition site, their expression being up‐regulated in transgene‐free CRISPR/Cas9‐edited miR812 plants. These findings further support that, in addition to post‐transcriptional regulation of gene expression, miRNAs can exert their regulatory function at the transcriptional level. This relationship between miR812w and Stowaway MITEs integrated into multiple coding genes might eventually create a network for miR812w‐mediated regulation of gene expression with implications in rice immunity.