Identificação e caracterização de miRNAs e componentes da via de RNA em espécies de nematoides

Abstract

Plant-parasitic nematodes are highly damaging pathogens that can infect and cause severe damage to plants, including death. They are responsible for significant economic losses in global agriculture and are found in major crops of economic importance. While various methods are used to control plant-parasitic nematodes, their efficiency is limited. One promising approach is the use of gene silencing techniques. However, successful implementation of this method requires a thorough understanding of miRNAs and their processing pathways in plant-parasitic nematodes. This study aimed to identify and characterize the genes involved in the miRNA pathway in Meloidogyne species, including M. arenaria, M. enterolobii, M. floridensis, M. graminicola, M. hapla, M. incognita, and M. javanica, using in silico analysis. A total of 115 proteins involved in the miRNA pathway were identified, and key pathway proteins, such as RNAses III and Argonaute were characterized. The conserved domains, active sites, and phylogenetic relationships of these proteins were analyzed to predict their functional activities in cells. Additionally, putative precursors and mature miRNAs were identified in the genomes of M. enterolobii and M. arenaria. The analysis revealed 86 putative miRNA sequences in M. enterolobii, 96 in the first genome of M. arenaria, 41 in the second genome, and 45 in the third genome. The mir-87 miRNA family was analyzed for M. enterolobii and M. arenaria. The sequence conservation and phylogenetic distribution of each family suggested the presence of miRNAs in all nematode genomes. Overall, these results provide a better understanding of miRNAs' essential roles in miRNA-based regulatory processes in plant-parasitic nematodes and their potential as targets for gene silencing techniques for controlling this pest.