Deep Sequencing Discovery and Profiling of Known and Novel miRNAs Produced in Response to DNA Damage in Rice

In this study, we use bleomycin to simulate extreme environmental stress to induce DNA damage in rice seedling roots. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified by high-throughput sequencing of bleomycin-treated and non-treated control groups. The corresponding target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted. Additionally, the expression patterns of several miRNAs and their target genes relating to DNA repair were validated by RT-qPCR. Our study suggests that miRNAs may be widely involved in regulating DNA damage repair in rice and provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage repair.