MicroRNA sequencing in normoxic vs. 20 hour anoxic Trachemys scripta elegans red muscle

The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a uniquely impressive vertebrate facultative anaerobe, capable of 18 weeks without oxygen at 3 degrees Celsius. Metabolic rate depression (~85%) is the core feature of anaerobiosis and is characterized by the suppression of costly processes like protein synthesis/decay and the cell cycle. The elucidation of microRNA (miRNA) action in support of animal extreme stress adaptation is increasing, but is currently lacking in T.s. elegans anoxia tolerance. Here, we use small RNA sequencing and subsequent bioinformatic analyses to identify differentially expressed miRNA and predicted target pathways in 20 h anoxic red skeletal muscle of red-eared slider turtles.