Genome-wide identification of alternate bearing-associated miRNA in the olive tree (Olea europaea)

We aimed to identify miRNA regulated by alternate bearing in O. europaea. For this purpose, six olive (Olea europaea L. )(Ayvalik variety) small RNA libraries were constructed from fruits (ripe and unripe) and leaves ("on-year" and "off-year" mature -leaven in November and juvenile - leaven in July plants) and sequenced by high-throughput Illumina sequencing. Bioinformatics analyses of 93,526,915 reads identified 135 conserved miRNA, belonging to 22 miRNA families in olive tree. In addition, 38 novel miRNA were discovered in the datasets. Expression of olive tree miRNA varied greatly among the six libraries, indicating contribution of diverse miRNA in balancing between reproductive and vegetative phases. The differential expression of miRNA was evaluated on the basis of the developmental phase of the samples. Overall design: Sequences of six olive miRNAs (Olea europaea L. )(Ayvalik variety) plants (ripe and unripe fruits, leaves of mature and juvenile plants of both "on-year" and "off-year") were generated by Illumina sequencing