The affect of SACMV infection on the small RNA (sRNA) populations of T200 and TME3 cassava landraces. Cassava landraces infected with SACMV and mock controls

South African cassava mosaic virus (SACMV) is a single-stranded DNA virus that is responsible for a economically devastating disease in cassava. Symptoms of cassava mosaic disease including yellow and green mosaic, leaf curling and stunting, that resemble developmental abnormalities. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous RNAs that are involved in a variety of activities, including plant development, signal transduction and protein degradation, as well as response to environmental stress, and pathogen invasion.This study was aimed at understanding the deregulation of miRNAs upon infection with SACMV in two different cassava landraces. The T200 landrace is susceptible to SACMV and the TME3 landrace is considered to be tolerant as it show recovery to SACMV infection. Leaf samples were collected at 12, 32 and 67dpi (days post infection) and the small RNAs were isolated and sequenced using the Illumina platform. The miRNA profiles of the two different landrace were analysed at the 3 different time points.