Conserved miRNA detection in the ESTs of Ganoderma lucidum

Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum is a potentially deadly fungal pathogen belonging to the family Ganodermataceae that affects palms all over the world. Spread through spores, its mode of infection generally starts from the roots and is characterized by the presence of fungal basiocarps on the infected tree. Due to the huge financial losses inflicted upon the farming community, there is a need to find innovative measures to inhibit the spread of this destructive biotroph. miRNA induced silencing is a relatively new technology that is gaining traction in the field of plant pathogen inhibition. In this study, we aim to identify conserved miRNAs through bioinformatics tools present in the ESTs of G. lucidum. A total of 17 pre-miRNA hairpin loop structures were identified in the genome formed by a total of 9 unique miRNAs. Target annotation revealed that almost all of these miRNAs could have a part to play in propagating the spread of this pathogen. Thus, these miRNAs could be potentially upregulated or downregulated in a pathogen to restrict its parasitic functions.