Synergistic regulation of abiotic stress adaptation by copper miRNAs miR398 and miR408 in melon
Hernandez-Azurdia, Andrea Gabriela (Universitat de València. Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes)
Nuñez Salvador, Marta (Universitat de València. Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes)
Lozano-Ordaz, Javier (Universitat de València. Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes)
Lopez, Carmelo (Universitat Politècnica de València)
Martín-Hernández, Ana Montserrat (Centre de Recerca en Agrigenòmica)
Gomez, Gustavo (Universitat de València. Institut de Biologia Integrativa de Sistemes)

Date:	2026
Abstract:	MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in general and miR398 and miR408 in particular have emerged as key regulators of plant adaptation to individual stress, yet their roles regulating the crop response to diverse unfavorable environments remain poorly explored. Here, we report transgenic melon (Cucumis melo) plants overexpressing miR398 and miR408 precursors, two conserved miRNAs involved in copper-related regulatory pathways and associated with stress response. Engineered plants exhibited enhanced vegetative development, including stem elongation, internode formation, root architecture, and leaf production. The significant increased accumulation of well-processed miR398 and miR408, along with the downregulation of their respective targets (Copper/Zinc Superoxide Dismutase and Basic Blue Protein) demonstrates the functional activity of the transgenes. Sequencing analysis revealed a positive correlation in the accumulation of miR398 and miR408, suggesting a coordinated accumulation pattern with interdependent miRNA regulation, potentially independent of conventional transcription factor activity. Transgenic plants showed improved tolerance to drought, salinity, heat, and cold stress, validating the role of miR398 and miR408 as master regulators of abiotic stress resilience in melon. This work highlights the potential of biotechnological strategies based on engineering Cu-related miRNAs to enhance crop performance under different adverse environments, thereby contributing to agricultural sustainability in the face of climate change.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2022-1393930B-I00
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	The Plant journal, Vol. 127, Num. 2 (June 2026) , art. e71061, ISSN 1365-313X

DOI: 10.1111/tpj.71061

18 p, 3.3 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CRAG (Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles