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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319862
Title: Detection of an abundant plant-based small RNA in consumers

Author
item KENDAL, HIRSCHI - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item YANG, JIAN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item YARMARKOVICH, MARK - University Of Pennsylvania
item FARMER, LISA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item AGYEKUM, ABIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item ELBAZ-YOUNES, ISMAIL - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Plant Biology Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/18/2015
Publication Date: 7/26/2015
Citation: Kendal, H.D., Yang, J., Yarmarkovich, M., Farmer, L., Agyekum, A., Elbaz-Younes, I. 2015. Detection of an abundant plant-based small RNA in consumers [abstract]. Plant Biology Annual Meeting, July 26-30, 2015, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Applied Plant Biology-Zone 100, 100-005-Y, p. 4. Available: http://plantbiology.aspb.org.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mechanisms of delivery of plant small RNAs to consumers must be addressed in order to harness this technology to positively impact agbiotechnology. Two groups have used honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) feeding regimes to detect a plant-based small RNA, termed MIR2911, in sera. Meanwhile, numerous groups have failed to detect dietary plant-based small RNAs in consumers. Here we catalog levels of MIR2911 in different herbs, and suggest that in particular herbs MIR2911 levels are elevated. Feeding these different herb-based diets to mice, we found MIR2911 levels in the sera and urine were associated with dietary intake levels. Abundance was not the sole determinate of apparent RNA bioavailability, as gavage-feeding large-doses of synthetic MIR2911 permitted only small transient increases in serum levels. Dietary MIR2911 were not modified in circulation by association with the host's RNA-induced silencing complex, as the RNA did not co-immunoprecipitate with AGO2. The stability of dietary MIR2911 in circulation differed from synthesized small RNAs, as tail vein administration of various synthetic plant-based small RNAs resulted in rapid clearance. However, synthetic MIR2911 appeared to be more stable than the other plant miRNAs tested. Notably, the uptake of dietary MIR2911 was not related to perturbations in the host's microbiome or gut permeability. We will present preliminary studies regarding more detailed mechanisms of plant-based dietary RNAs uptake and evidence that MIR2911 can regulate gene expression in mammalian tissues. We suggest dietary uptake of MIR2911 is commonplace in healthy consumers, and reproducible detection of plant-based small RNAs in consumers depends on dietary abundance, RNA stability and digestion from within the food-matrix.