Sea Urchins in Acute High Temperature and Low Oxygen Environments: The Regulatory Role of microRNAs in Response to Environmental Stress

Abstract

Strongylocentrotus intermedius is an economically valuable sea urchin species in China. However, its growth and survival are severely constrained by ocean warming and the hypoxia that often accompanies high water temperatures. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression in response to environmental change. In this study, high-throughput RNA sequencing was used to investigate changes in miRNA expression in S. intermedius under heat (25°C), hypoxia (2 mg/L O2), and combined heat and hypoxia stresses. Twelve small RNAs libraries were constructed and 17, 14, and 23 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified in the heat, hypoxia, and combined stress groups (P<0.05), respectively. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway functional analyses of putative target genes of the DEMs suggested that these miRNAs were important in basal metabolism, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and immune-related pathways. By co-analysis with published transcriptome data, key DEMs (miR-193, miR-184, miR-133, miR-125, miR-2008) and their key target genes (EGF3, ABCB4, CYCL, PAN2, CALN) were identified. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the expression of 10 DEMs and their key target genes confirmed the RNA sequencing results. These results provide information on gene expression regulation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of S. intermedius to multi-cause environmental stresses.

Whole genome discovery of regulatory genes responsible for the response of chicken to heat stress

“…In addition, almost 90% of them (121 out of the 134 mRNAs) were found to be regulated by 216 miRNAs. According to the previous studies and the findings of the current work, the expression of several important genes are modified under HS; including HSPA5 12 , 36 , 72 , 75 , 76 , EIF2A 77 – 79 , RBPJ 80 , ABCC9 81 , TAT 82 , 83 , ATP5J2 84 , CD80 85 , EEF2K 86 , EIF4B 87 , FTO 88 , 89 , GLRX 90 , IGF1R 91 , INSR 77 , 92 , VAV3 93 , UBR5 94 , TNIP1 90 , PTPN9 95 , EIF2A 96 , AKR1D1 97 , HSPA13 98 , CYP1A2 99 , and SDF2L1 12 . Additionally, based on our result, other protein-coding genes such as ABCC9, TAT, ATP5J2, CD80, EEF2K, EIF4B, FTO, GLRX, IGF1R, INSR, VAV3, UBR5, TNIP1, RBPJ, and PTPN9, were significantly modified with the heat stress in conjunction with the regulation effect of ENSGALT00000099876, ENSGALT00000106323, and ENSGALT00000107573 lncRNAs.…”