MicroRNA expression during Phaseolus vulgaris seed development

Phaseolus vulgaris, is one of the most important grain legumes worldwide due to its nutritional content. Previously, we characterized the proteome and transcriptomic changes occurring in P. vulgaris seeds harvested at 10, 20, 30, and 40 days after anthesis (DAA) (Parreira et al., 2016, 2018). Both studies highlighted that a timeframe of molecular and metabolic events occurs but, it remains to be understood the regulatory molecular mechanisms controlling the temporal gene expression seen. Among the different mechanisms regulating gene expression, post-transcriptional regulation mediated by miRNAs has shown to be implicated in the numerous developmental processes in plants, including the development of legume seeds. Our goal was to provide a more comprehensive overview of the miRNAs dynamics, their abundances and targets to further understand the miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation network during P. vulgaris seed development. Furthermore, the potential of modulating miRNA abundances, thus the genes these are targeting, can be used to improve traits of agronomical importance, such as tolerance to stress agents.