MicroRNA identification in Viscum album

Viscum album L. (Loranthaceae, European mistletoe) has been widely used for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and the components including viscotoxins, lectins and terpenoids might be responsible for its therapeutic effects. MicroRNAs are a class of single-stranded non-coding RNA molecules of approximately 22 nucleotides that play crucial roles in plant growth development. In order to identify small RNAs and to discover miRNAs and their potential roles in regulating the biosynthesis of bioactive ingredients, high-throughput small RNA sequencing combined with target gene prediction was applied in this study, which might increase the knowledge regarding miRNA-based regulation of terpenoid biosynthesis, lectin and viscotoxin expressions in V. album.