Spirodela polyrhiza miRNAs in 8 conditions

Spirodela polyrhiza is a model genome of the Lemnaceae (duckweed) family an aquatic basal monocot, and promising crop for providing clean water, feed, and biofuel. This study uses small RNA and cleaved mRNA to identify miRNAs, measure their expression in 8 conditions (control, 0°C, 37°C, abscisic acid, copper chloride, kinetin, potassium nitrate, and sucrose), and finally their targets and differential activity in the same 8 conditions as measured by cleaved mRNAs that aligned with miRNA cleavage sites. In a broader context, this experiment was meant to study miRNA regulation in varied conditions, and examine the role of these miRNAs particularly in development of this unique rapidly growing, largely asexual plant.