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Arushi Jain

 

Arushi Jain

South Asian University, India

Abstract Title:Genome-wide analysis of the NF-Y gene family and their potential miRNA interactions in rice

Biography: Arushi Jain is a PhD scholar in Biotechnology at South Asian University, specializing in Plant Molecular Biology and stress-responsive gene regulation in crops. Her research focuses on understanding the role of transcription factors, miRNAs, and genome editing approaches in improving abiotic stress tolerance in rice. She has contributed to multiple research publications and is currently working on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated functional characterization of stress-responsive genes for developing climate-resilient crops.

Research Interest: Abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity severely affect plant growth and crop productivity by triggering complex physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses. Nuclear transcription factor Y (NF-Y) proteins are important regulators involved in stress-responsive pathways in plants. In the present study, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of NF-Y gene families was carried out across four plant species, namely Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Cicer arietinum, and Sorghum bicolor. A total of 36 AtNF-Ys, 34 OsNF-Ys, 40 CaNF-Ys, and 42 SbNF-Ys were identified and characterized. Conserved domain analysis revealed the presence of the CCAAT-binding factor domain in NF-YA proteins, whereas NF-YB and NF-YC proteins contained conserved histone fold domains responsible for NF-Y trimer formation. Cis-regulatory element analysis of rice NF-Y genes indicated the enrichment of stress- and hormone-responsive elements within their promoter regions. Furthermore, meta-expression analysis demonstrated differential expression of NF-Y genes under various environmental stresses. Experimental validation through qRT-PCR at seedling and tillering stages revealed significant upregulation of OsNF-YA1, OsNF-YA4, OsNF-YA7, OsNF-YC1, and OsNF-YC4 under drought and salinity stress in both shoot and root tissues. To further understand post-transcriptional regulation, potential miRNA interactions with NF-Y genes were investigated in rice. Osa-miR169a was predicted to target the 3′ UTR regions of OsNF-YA1, OsNF-YA4, and OsNF-YA10, while Osa-miR2919 and Osa-miR5075 targeted OsNF-YC1 and OsNF-YC4, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms of NF-Y genes and their role in abiotic stress tolerance in plants.