Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) represent a significant class of regulatory RNAs that exhibit sequence complementarity to other transcripts. These molecules are increasingly recognized for their roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation across eukaryotes, including plants. In soybean (Glycine max), NATs have been predicted in the PlantNATsDB, yet comprehensive functional and structural analyses remain limited. This study presents a large-scale prediction and experimental validation of NATs in soybean, integrating high-throughput sequencing data from small RNAs and degradome profiles. A total of 26,216 NATs were identified, comprising 994 cis-NATs and 25,222 trans-NATs. Each sense transcript was found to associate with between one and 177 antisense transcripts, highlighting the complexity of NAT interactions. RT-PCR amplification confirmed the expression of 21 trans-NATs, providing direct evidence of their biological relevance.
Further analysis revealed that 179 cis-NATs and 6,629 trans-NATs produce small RNAs, predominantly enriched within overlapping regions. The most abundant small RNA species were 21, 22, and 24 nucleotides in length—consistent with typical sizes of natural antisense siRNAs (nat-siRNAs). The generation of these small RNAs showed a strong bias toward one strand of the NAT duplex, suggesting directional processing by Dicer-like enzymes. Degradome sequencing enabled global identification of nat-siRNA targets, revealing 446 target genes associated with 165 distinct nat-siRNAs. Notably, these targets included not only the sense or antisense strands of the originating NAT but also unrelated transcripts, indicating broad regulatory potential. Five NAT transcripts were found to form stem-loop structures characteristic of pre-microRNAs, suggesting dual functionality in both miRNA and nat-siRNA biogenesis. Additionally, 86 known miRNA targets were identified as having antisense transcripts, implying cross-talk between miRNA and NAT pathways.5-TAMRA Cadaverine In stock
These findings collectively demonstrate that NATs in soybean function within intricate regulatory networks involving small RNAs, transcriptional interference, and post-transcriptional silencing.N-Boc-7-aminoheptanoic acid medchemexpress The interplay among cis- and trans-NATs, nat-siRNAs, miRNAs, and their respective targets suggests a highly coordinated system influencing gene expression during development and stress responses.PMID:35247502 This work provides a foundational resource for understanding the regulatory landscape of soybean, offering insights into how non-coding RNAs shape genome activity and adaptation.MedChemExpress (MCE) offers a wide range of high-quality research chemicals and biochemicals (novel life-science reagents, reference compounds and natural compounds) for scientific use. We have professionally experienced and friendly staff to meet your needs. We are a competent and trustworthy partner for your research and scientific projects.Related websites: https://www.medchemexpress.com