Functional Analysis of Anther PhasiRNA in Soybean

Many phasiRNA have been discovered but the targets and functions of these molecules remains largely unknown. The function of phasiRNA produced by miR4392, which are expressed highly in the anthers of soybeans, were compared to similar ones found in maize. A short tandem target mimic (STTM) was designed to knock out the production of phasiRNA at different points of biogenesis. The resulting constructs were examined for varying phenotypes and molecular variations through RT-qPCR and sRNA library sequencing. Constructs where phasiRNA production was halted developed fewer beans. Failure to produce phasiRNAs in reproductive tissues can lead to important crop yield changes and deleterious mutations