In silico microRNA analysis binding to Tomato spotted wilt virus in tomato

neda khoshkhatti¹ omid eini²

1) Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan Iran
2) Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan Iran

Publication : The 7th Iranian Conference on Bioinformatics (icb7.ir)
Abstract :
Tospoviruses are enveloped viruses that causing diseases in a large number of crops such as tomato, watermelon and lettuce. The genome of tospoviruses consists of three ssRNA molecules. The RNA molecules are simply known as L (Large), M (Medium), and S (Small). The entire genome codes for six proteins via five different open reading frames (ORFs). Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a common plant virus in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions around the world. The disease affects around 800 different plant species, and has become a major constraint for tomato growers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a component of silencing machinery, regulate host development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In animals, miRNAs were found to limit viral establishment by direct interference with viral replication or by targeting viral transcripts. However, such mechanisms have not been yet reported for plant viruses. In this study, we investigated the possible binding of tomato encoded miRNA sequences to the viral genome and/or encoded ORFs of TSWV. In silico analysis showed that several miRNA species including mir1919 and mir9471 can potentially target both genome of TSWV. This may suggest a novel role for plant miRNA in host-virus interactions and defense response.
Keywords : Keywords: Bioinformatics miRNA RNA hybrid TSWV Tomato