In silico analysis of microRNA binding to the genome of Beet curly top Iran virus in tomato

Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV) is a new member of geminiviruses causing leaf curl disease in a wide range of crops. These DNA viruses can both induce and be themselves targeted by gene silencing machinery. In animals, miRNAs were found to limit viral establishment by direct interference with viral replication or by targeting viral transcripts. However, such mechanisms have not been yet reported for plant viruses. In this work, we investigated the possible binding of tomato encoded miRNA/miRNA* sequences to the viral genome and/or transcripts of BCTIV. In silico analysis showed that several miRNA/miRNA* species including mir319, mir1919 and mir159 can potentially target both the genome and transcribed ORFs of the BCTIV. In addition, the identified miRNAs* also were predicted to bind host genes from various metabolic pathways. This may suggest a novel role for plant miRNA/miRNA* in host-virus interactions and defence response.