Transcription Factors-microRNAs regulatory network in response to multiple stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

Transcription factors (TFs) by interacting with the DNA binding sites of stress responsive gene promoters, control a cascade of reactions in plant cells also on the other hand microRNAs (miRNAs) act on dozen of genes involving in response to a particular stress condition via many of biological proceses. Less than 6% of the responding transcripts showed antagonistic responses to stress combinations that require delineation of regulatory interactions underlying multiple concurrent stresses instead of a single biotic or abiotic stress. Therefore, inferring transcriptional networks including both of TFs and miRNAs as two classes of regulators likely will reveal more aspects of complex interlayers especially in a combination of stresses. Utilizing 207 microarrays, we performed data mining approaches fallowing by network construction. As a result, 17 TFs and 12 miRNAs were identified as the most potential regulators in response to a combination of biotic and abiotic stresses. Seven stress responsive TFs targeted 1697 transcripts in ARACNE based constructed network which classified in a cohort of common metabolisms under investigated treatments. The generated network was validated via comparison with a reference network and further motif enrichment. The study identified TFs like ERF/AP2 family also miRNAs including miR5658 and miR172 their crosstalk may undertake transcriptome changes in response to stresses.