Plasma cell-free RNA characteristics in COVID-19 patients.

The pathogenesis of COVID-19 is still elusive, which impedes disease progression prediction, differential diagnosis, and targeted therapy. Plasma cell-free RNAs (cfRNAs) carry unique information from human tissue and thus could point to resourceful solutions for pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of cfRNA profiles between COVID-19 patients and healthy donors using serial plasma. Analyses of the cfRNA landscape, potential gene regulatory mechanisms, dynamic changes in tRNA pools upon infection, and microbial communities were performed. A total of 380 cfRNA molecules were up-regulated in all COVID-19 patients, of which seven could serve as potential biomarkers (AUC > 0.85) with great sensitivity and specificity. Antiviral (NFKB1A, IFITM3, and IFI27) and neutrophil activation (S100A8, CD68, and CD63)-related genes exhibited decreased expression levels during treatment in COVID-19 patients, which is in accordance with the dynamically enhanced inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients. Noncoding RNAs, including some microRNAs (let 7 family) and long noncoding RNAs (GJA9-MYCBP) targeting interleukin (IL6/IL6R), were differentially expressed between COVID-19 patients and healthy donors, which accounts for the potential core mechanism of cytokine storm syndromes; the tRNA pools change significantly between the COVID-19 and healthy group, leading to the accumulation of SARS-CoV-2 biased codons, which facilitate SARS-CoV-2 replication. Finally, several pneumonia-related microorganisms were detected in the plasma of COVID-19 patients, raising the possibility of simultaneously monitoring immune response regulation and microbial communities using cfRNA analysis. This study fills the knowledge gap in the plasma cfRNA landscape of COVID-19 patients and offers insight into the potential mechanisms of cfRNAs to explain COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Astrocytic Neuroligin-3 influences gene expression and social behavior, but is dispensable for synapse number.

Neuroligin-3 (Nlgn3) is an autism-associated cell-adhesion molecule that interacts with neurexins and is robustly expressed in both neurons and astrocytes. Neuronal Nlgn3 is an essential regulator of synaptic transmission but the function of astrocytic Nlgn3 is largely unknown. Given the high penetrance of Nlgn3 mutations in autism and the emerging role of astrocytes in neuropsychiatric disorders, we here asked whether astrocytic Nlgn3 might shape neural circuit properties in the cerebellum similar to neuronal Nlgn3. Imaging of tagged Nlgn3 protein produced by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing showed that Nlgn3 is enriched in the cell body but not the fine processes of cerebellar astrocytes (Bergmann glia). Astrocyte-specific knockout of Nlgn3 did not detectably alter the number of synapses, synaptic transmission, or astrocyte morphology in mouse cerebellum. However, spatial transcriptomic analyses revealed a significant shift in gene expression among multiple cerebellar cell types after the deletion of astrocytic Nlgn3. Hence, in contrast to neuronal Nlgn3, astrocytic Nlgn3 in the cerebellum is not involved in shaping synapses but may modulate gene expression in specific brain areas.

[Changes of parameters associated with anemia of inflammation in patients with stage â ¢ periodontitis before and after periodontal initial therapy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences and similarities of parameters associated with anemia of inflammation between patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis and periodontally healthy volunteers, and to explore the influence of periodontal initial therapy on those indicators. METHODS: Patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis and periodontally healthy volunteers seeking periodontal treatment or prophylaxis at Department of Periodontology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from February 2020 to February 2023 were enrolled. Their demographic characteristics, periodontal parameters (including probing depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding index), and fasting blood were gathered before periodontal initial therapy. Three months after periodontal initial therapy, the periodontal parameters of the patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis were re-evaluated and their fasting blood was collected again. Blood routine examinations (including white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) were performed. And ferritin, hepcidin, erythropoietin (EPO) were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data analysis was done with SPSS 21.0, independent sample t test, paired t test, and analysis of covariance were used for comparison between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis and 25 periodontally healthy volunteers were included in this study. The patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis were significantly older than those in periodontally healthy status [(36.72±7.64) years vs. (31.44±7.52) years, P=0.017]. The patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis showed lower serum hemoglobin [(134.92±12.71) g/L vs. (146.52±12.51) g/L, P=0.002] and higher serum ferritin [(225.08±103.36) µg/L vs. (155.19±115.38) µg/L, P=0.029], EPO [(41.28±12.58) IU/L vs. (28.38±10.52) IU/L, P < 0.001], and hepcidin [(48.03±34.44) µg/L vs. (27.42±15.00) µg/L, P=0.009] compared with periodontally healthy volunteers. After adjusting the age with the covariance analysis, these parameters (hemoglobin, ferritin, EPO, and hepcidin) showed the same trends as independent-sample t test with statistical significance. Three months after periodontal initial therapy, all the periodontal parameters showed statistically significant improvement. The serum hemoglobin raised [(146.05±15.48) g/L vs. (133.77± 13.15) g/L, P < 0.001], while the serum ferritin [(128.52±90.95) µg/L vs. (221.22±102.15) µg/L, P < 0.001], EPO [(27.66±19.67) IU/L vs. (39.63± 12.48) IU/L, P=0.004], and hepcidin [(32.54±18.67) µg/L vs. (48.18±36.74) µg/L, P=0.033] decreased compared with baseline. CONCLUSION: Tendency of iron metabolism disorder and anemia of inflammation was observed in patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis, which can be attenuated by periodontal initial therapy.

Plasma cell-free DNA promise monitoring and tissue injury assessment of COVID-19.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a complex disease that affects billions of people worldwide. Currently, effective etiological treatment of COVID-19 is still lacking; COVID-19 also causes damages to various organs that affects therapeutics and mortality of the patients. Surveillance of the treatment responses and organ injury assessment of COVID-19 patients are of high clinical value. In this study, we investigated the characteristic fragmentation patterns and explored the potential in tissue injury assessment of plasma cell-free DNA in COVID-19 patients. Through recruitment of 37 COVID-19 patients, 32 controls and analysis of 208 blood samples upon diagnosis and during treatment, we report gross abnormalities in cfDNA of COVID-19 patients, including elevated GC content, altered molecule size and end motif patterns. More importantly, such cfDNA fragmentation characteristics reflect patient-specific physiological changes during treatment. Further analysis on cfDNA tissue-of-origin tracing reveals frequent tissue injuries in COVID-19 patients, which is supported by clinical diagnoses. Hence, our work demonstrates and extends the translational merit of cfDNA fragmentation pattern as valuable analyte for effective treatment monitoring, as well as tissue injury assessment in COVID-19.

Multi-omics analyses of serum metabolome, gut microbiome and brain function reveal dysregulated microbiota-gut-brain axis in bipolar depression.

The intricate processes of microbiota-gut-brain communication in modulating human cognition and emotion, especially in the context of mood disorders, have remained elusive. Here we performed faecal metagenomic, serum metabolomics and neuroimaging studies on a cohort of 109 unmedicated patients with depressed bipolar disorder (BD) patients and 40 healthy controls (HCs) to characterise the microbial-gut-brain axis in BD. Across over 12,000 measured metabolic features, we observed a large discrepancy (73.54%) in the serum metabolome between BD patients and HCs, spotting differentially abundant microbial-derived neuroactive metabolites including multiple B-vitamins, kynurenic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid and short-chain fatty acids. These metabolites could be linked to the abundance of gut microbiota presented with corresponding biosynthetic potentials, including Akkermansia muciniphila, Citrobacter spp. (Citrobacter freundii and Citrobacter werkmanii), Phascolarctobacterium spp., Yersinia spp. (Yersinia frederiksenii and Yersinia aleksiciae), Enterobacter spp. (Enterobacter cloacae and Enterobacter kobei) and Flavobacterium spp. Based on functional neuroimaging, BD-related neuroactive microbes and metabolites were discovered as potential markers associated with BD-typical features of functional connectivity of brain networks, hinting at aberrant cognitive function, emotion regulation, and interoception. Our study combines gut microbiota and neuroactive metabolites with brain functional connectivity, thereby revealing potential signalling pathways from the microbiota to the gut and the brain, which may have a role in the pathophysiology of BD.

Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Janus Hollow Polydopamine Nanotubes.

A tubular-shaped Janus nanoparticle based on polydopamine that responds to near-infrared, magnetic, and pH stimuli is reported. The robust tubular polydopamine structure was obtained by optimizing the halloysite template-to-dopamine ratio during synthesis. The inner and outer surfaces of the tube were exposed at different steps of the template-sonication--etching process, enabling the differential surface modification of these surfaces. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) were grafted to the outer and inner surface of the nanotube, respectively. The PEG-coated surface limited aggregation of the nanoparticles at elevated temperatures. The PNIPAM-coated interior enhanced doxorubicin loading and endowed the nanoparticle with temperature-responsive behavior. The deposition of precipitated Fe3O4 nanoparticles further modified the nanoparticles. The resulting magnetic Janus nanoparticles responded to pH, temperature, and magnetic fields. Temperature changes could be induced by near-infrared laser, and all three stimuli were found to influence release rates of adsorbed doxorubicin from the nanoparticles. The interaction of the stimuli on release kinetics was elucidated using a linear mixed model; reduced pH and NIR irradiation enhanced release while applying a static magnetic field retarded release. Furthermore, the mechanism was shifted toward Fickian behavior by applying a static magnetic field and low pH conditions. However, NIR irradiation only shifted the behavior toward Fickian behavior at low pH.

Global Prevalence of Echinococcosis in Goats: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Echinococcosis is a foodborne parasitic zoonosis caused by the larvae of Echinococcus. This disease can affect goats and other mammals. In this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis for echinococcosis in global goats were performed based on the following five databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], VIP Chinese Journal Database, Wanfang Data, PubMed, and ScienceDirect). In total, 108,197 samples were collected. The global prevalence of echinococcosis in goats was identified to be 10.85% (3217/108,197). The prevalence of echinococcosis in goats was 6.16% (1369/22,208) and 13.27% (874/5932) in South America and Africa, respectively. The prevalence of echinococcosis in goats before 2010 (9.76%; 112/713) was significantly higher than that from 2010 to 2014 (1.44%; 45/32,145) or after 2014 (2.95%; 154/3889). The prevalence of echinococcosis in goats aged <12 months (4.48%; 70/2911) was higher than that in goats aged ≥12 months (2.88%; 36/819). We also investigated the effects of geographical factors and climates on the prevalence of echinococcosis in goats. The results showed that the prevalence of echinococcosis was higher in the areas with high altitude and cold climate. This meta-analysis indicated that echinococcosis was ubiquitous in goats. Thus, we should improve the feeding conditions for goats, and strengthen the control measures of echinococcosis epidemic in goats, with the aims of reducing the economic losses of animal husbandry and providing protection for humans in the aspects of food security and health.

Potential links between COVID-19 and periodontitis: a bioinformatic analysis based on GEO datasets.

BACKGROUND: 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The COVID-19 pandemic has already had a serious influence on human existence, causing a huge public health concern for countries all around the world. Because SARS-CoV-2 infection can be spread by contact with the oral cavity, the link between oral illness and COVID-19 is gaining traction. Through bioinformatics approaches, we explored the possible molecular mechanisms linking the COVID-19 and periodontitis to provide the basis and direction for future research. METHODS: Transcriptomic data from blood samples of patients with COVID-19 and periodontitis was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The shared differentially expressed genes were identified. The analysis of Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genesand Genomes pathway, and protein-protein interaction network was conducted for the shared differentially expressed genes. Top 5 hub genes were selected through Maximal Clique Centrality algorithm. Then mRNA-miRNA network of the hub genes was established based on miRDB database, miRTarbase database and Targetscan database. The Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis was used to discover possible biomarkers, which were then investigated in relation to immune-related genes. RESULTS: Fifty-six shared genes were identified through differential expression analysis in COVID-19 and periodontitis. The function of these genes was enriched in regulation of hormone secretion, regulation of secretion by cell. Myozenin 2 was identified through Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression Analysis, which was down-regulated in both COVID-19 and periodontitis. There was a positive correlation between Myozenin 2 and the biomarker of activated B cell, memory B cell, effector memory CD4 T cell, Type 17 helper cell, T follicular helper cell and Type 2 helper cell. CONCLUSION: By bioinformatics analysis, Myozenin 2 is predicted to correlate to the pathogenesis and immune infiltrating of COVID-19 and periodontitis. However, more clinical and experimental researches are needed to validate the function of Myozenin 2.

DNA barcoding of Oryza: conventional, specific, and super barcodes.

KEY MESSAGE: We applied the phylogenomics to clarify the concept of rice species, aid in the identification and use of rice germplasms, and support rice biodiversity. Rice (genus Oryza) is one of the most important crops in the world, supporting half of the world's population. Breeding of high-yielding and quality cultivars relies on genetic resources from both cultivated and wild species, which are collected and maintained in seed banks. Unfortunately, numerous seeds are mislabeled due to taxonomic issues or misidentifications. Here, we applied the phylogenomics of 58 complete chloroplast genomes and two hypervariable nuclear genes to determine species identity in rice seeds. Twenty-one Oryza species were identified. Conspecific relationships were determined between O. glaberrima and O. barthii, O. glumipatula and O. longistaminata, O. grandiglumis and O. alta, O. meyeriana and O. granulata, O. minuta and O. malampuzhaensis, O. nivara and O. sativa subsp. indica, and O. sativa subsp. japonica and O. rufipogon. D and L genome types were not found and the H genome type was extinct. Importantly, we evaluated the performance of four conventional plant DNA barcodes (matK, rbcL, psbA-trnH, and ITS), six rice-specific chloroplast DNA barcodes (psaJ-rpl33, trnC-rpoB, rps16-trnQ, rpl22-rps19, trnK-matK, and ndhC-trnV), two rice-specific nuclear DNA barcodes (NP78 and R22), and a chloroplast genome super DNA barcode. The latter was the most reliable marker. The six rice-specific chloroplast barcodes revealed that 17% of the 53 seed accessions from rice seed banks or field collections were mislabeled. These results are expected to clarify the concept of rice species, aid in the identification and use of rice germplasms, and support rice biodiversity.

ATP compartmentation in plastids and cytosol of Arabidopsis thaliana revealed by fluorescent protein sensing.

Matching ATP:NADPH provision and consumption in the chloroplast is a prerequisite for efficient photosynthesis. In terms of ATP:NADPH ratio, the amount of ATP generated from the linear electron flow does not meet the demand of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle. Several different mechanisms to increase ATP availability have evolved, including cyclic electron flow in higher plants and the direct import of mitochondrial-derived ATP in diatoms. By imaging a fluorescent ATP sensor protein expressed in living Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, we found that MgATP2- concentrations were lower in the stroma of mature chloroplasts than in the cytosol, and exogenous ATP was able to enter chloroplasts isolated from 4- and 5-day-old seedlings, but not chloroplasts isolated from 10- or 20-day-old photosynthetic tissues. This observation is in line with the previous finding that the expression of chloroplast nucleotide transporters (NTTs) in Arabidopsis mesophyll is limited to very young seedlings. Employing a combination of photosynthetic and respiratory inhibitors with compartment-specific imaging of ATP, we corroborate the dependency of stromal ATP production on mitochondrial dissipation of photosynthetic reductant. Our data suggest that, during illumination, the provision and consumption of ATP:NADPH in chloroplasts can be balanced by exporting excess reductants rather than importing ATP from the cytosol.

Genotyping of 30 kinds of cutaneous human papillomaviruses by a multiplex microfluidic loop-mediated isothermal amplification and visual detection method.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomaviruses (HPVs), a group of non-enveloped small viruses with double-stranded circular DNA which lead to multiple skin diseases such as benign warts, are commonly seen in clinics. The current HPV detection systems aim mainly at mucosal HPVs, however, an efficient clinical approach for cutaneous HPVs detection is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To establish a rapid detection system for cutaneous HPVs using a colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) dye in combination with microfluidic technology. METHODS: L1 DNA sequences of the 30 cutaneous HPVs were chemically synthesized, and LAMP primers against L1 DNA were designed with use of an online LAMP designing tool. Isothermal amplification was performed with use of a water bath and the amplification results were inspected with the naked eye. Using PCR sequencing as a control method, the specificity and sensitivity of the new detection system were obtained by detecting clinical samples. RESULTS: The lower detection limit of the LAMP assay was 107 viral DNA copies/µl when tested on synthesized L1 DNA sequences, which was better than the conventional PCR. Compared to PCR sequencing, the sensitivity of HPV27, HPV2, HPV1, HPV57, HPV3, HPV4, HPV7 and HPV75 genotypes detections were 100%, whereas the specificity was 34.55, 45.12, 95.83, 98.59 and 97.62% respectively, when tested on clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS: The new cutaneous type HPV detection system is characterized by both a good sensitivity and specificity compared to conventional methods.

Bowl-Shaped Polydopamine Nanocapsules: Control of Morphology via Template-Free Synthesis.

Synthesis of hollow polydopamine bowl-shaped nanoparticles (nanobowls), as small as 80 nm in diameter, via a one-pot template-free rapid method is reported. Addition of dopamine to a solution of 0.606 mg/mL tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane in an ethanol/water mixed solvent resulted in the formation of hollow spherical nanocapsules within 2 h. At longer reaction times, the formation of conventional solid nanospheres dominated the reaction. The wall thickness of the nanocapsules increased with increasing dopamine concentration in the reaction medium. Wall thickness was also influenced by oxygen availability during the reaction. Nanocapsules with thin walls were prone to collapse. When dried, over 90% of the nanocapsules with wall thickness on the order of 11 nm collapsed. Also, the degree of collapse of individual nanoparticles changed from complete to partial to no collapse as the wall thickness was increased. Varying the ethanol content affected the cavity size and overall dimension of the nanocapsules produced but did not result in a significant change to the wall thickness. A mechanism describing the formation of the nanocapsules and their subsequent collapse into nanobowls is presented. The shape-tunable nanobowls prepared through this green, rapid, and affordable method are expected to have applications in the biomedical, electrochemical, and catalytic fields.

Differential RNA Editing and Intron Splicing in Soybean Mitochondria during Nodulation.

Nitrogen fixation in soybean consumes a tremendous amount of energy, leading to substantial differences in energy metabolism and mitochondrial activities between nodules and uninoculated roots. While C-to-U RNA editing and intron splicing of mitochondrial transcripts are common in plant species, their roles in relation to nodule functions are still elusive. In this study, we performed RNA-seq to compare transcript profiles and RNA editing of mitochondrial genes in soybean nodules and roots. A total of 631 RNA editing sites were identified on mitochondrial transcripts, with 12% or 74 sites differentially edited among the transcripts isolated from nodules, stripped roots, and uninoculated roots. Eight out of these 74 differentially edited sites are located on the matR transcript, of which the degrees of RNA editing were the highest in the nodule sample. The degree of mitochondrial intron splicing was also examined. The splicing efficiencies of several introns in nodules and stripped roots were higher than in uninoculated roots. These include nad1 introns 2/3/4, nad4 intron 3, nad5 introns 2/3, cox2 intron 1, and ccmFc intron 1. A greater splicing efficiency of nad4 intron 1, a higher NAD4 protein abundance, and a reduction in supercomplex I + III2 were also observed in nodules, although the causal relationship between these observations requires further investigation.

Proteomic and bioinformatic analysis of condyloma acuminata: mild hyperthermia treatment reveals compromised HPV infectivity of keratinocytes via regulation of metabolism, differentiation and anti-viral responses.

BACKGROUND: Hyperthermia has proved successful in treating cutaneous human papillomavirus infectious diseases such as plantar wart and condyloma acuminata (CA). Moreover, this treatment provides improved therapeutic efficacy in these conditions as compared with conventional therapies. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the global proteome changes in CA in response to hyperthermia and achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms of hyperthermia therapy against HPV-infectious diseases. METHODS: CA tissue was obtained from patients undergoing pathological examinations. Diagnosis was verified as based on results of both HE staining and HPV-DNA PCR assay. Hyperthermia was achieved with a 44 °C water bath. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified by iTRAQ labeling, SCX chromatography and LC-MS/MS assay. Validation of proteomic results was performed using real-time qPCR and western blot, while bioinformatic analysis of DEPs was accomplished by R 3.4.1, STRING and Cytoscape softwares. RESULTS: In response to hyperthermia, a total of 102 DEPs were identified with 37 being upregulated and 65 downregulated. Among these DEPs, hyperthermia induced proteins involved with anti-viral processes such as OAS1, MX1, BANF1, CANX and AP1S1, whereas it inhibited proteins that participated in cellular metabolism, such as GALT, H6PD, EXOSC4 and EXOSC6; protein translation, such as RPS4Y1; as well as keratinocyte differentiation, such as KRT5, KRT27, KRT75, KRT76 and H2AFY2. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperthermia inhibited enzymes and molecules responsible for metabolism modulation and keratinocyte differentiation in CA tissue, whereas it promoted factors involved in anti-viral responses. Such effects may, in part, contribute to the efficacy of local hyperthermia therapy against HPV infection.

Noise reduction in computational ghost imaging by interpolated monitoring.

An interpolation computational ghost imaging (ICGI) method is proposed and demonstrated that is able to reduce the noise interference from a fluctuating source and background. The noise is estimated through periodic illuminations by a specific assay pattern during sampling, which is then used to correct the bucket detector signal. To validate this method simulations and experiments were conducted. Light source intensity and background lighting were randomly varied to modulate the noise. The results show that good quality images can be obtained, while with conventional computational ghost imaging (CGI) the reconstructed object is barely recognizable. The ICGI method offers a general approach applicable to all CGI techniques, which can attenuate the interference from source fluctuations, background light noise, dynamic scattering, and so on.

Cell wall mannoprotein of Candida albicans induces cell cycle alternation and inhibits apoptosis of HaCaT cells via NF-κB signal pathway.

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is a commensal organism in human and a well-known dimorphic opportunistic pathogenic fungus. Though plenty of researches on the pathogenesis of C. albicans have been performed, the mechanism is not fully understood. The cell wall components of C. albicans have been documented to play important roles in its pathogenic processes. To further study the infectious mechanism of C. albicans, we investigated the potential functional role of its cell wall mannoprotein in cell cycle and apoptosis of HaCaT cells. We found that mannoprotein could promote the transition of cell cycle from G1/G0 to S phase, in which Cyclin D1, CDK4 and p-Rb, the major regulators of the cell cycle progression, showed significant upregulation, and CDKN1A (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21)) showed significant downregulation. Mannoprotein also could inhibit apoptosis of HaCaT cells, which was well associated with increased expression of BCL2 (Bcl-2). Moreover, mannoprotein could increase the phosphorylation levels of RELA (p65) and NFKBIA (IκBα), as the key factors of NF-κB signal pathway in HaCaT cells, suggesting the activation of NF-κB signal pathway. Additionally, a NF-κB specific inhibitor, PDTC, could rescue the effect of mannoprotein on cell cycle and apoptosis of HaCaT cells, which suggested that mannoprotein could activate NF-κB signal pathway to mediate cell cycle alternation and inhibit apoptosis.

Systematic characterization of novel lncRNAs responding to phosphate starvation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

BACKGROUND: Previously, several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were characterized as regulators in phosphate (Pi) starvation responses. However, systematic studies of novel lncRNAs involved in the Pi starvation signaling pathways have not been reported. RESULTS: Here, we used a genome-wide sequencing and bioinformatics approach to identify both poly(A) + and poly(A)- lncRNAs that responded to Pi starvation in Arabidopsis thaliana. We sequenced shoot and root transcriptomes of the Arabidopsis seedlings grown under Pi-sufficient and Pi-deficient conditions, and predicted 1212 novel lncRNAs, of which 78 were poly(A)- lncRNAs. By employing strand-specific RNA libraries, we discovered many novel antisense lncRNAs for the first time. We further defined 309 lncRNAs that were differentially expressed between P+ and P- conditions in either shoots or roots. Through Gene Ontology enrichment of the associated protein-coding genes (co-expressed or close on the genome), we found that many lncRNAs were adjacent or co-expressed with the genes involved in several Pi starvation related processes, including cell wall organization and photosynthesis. In total, we identified 104 potential lncRNA targets of PHR1, a key regulator for transcriptional response to Pi starvation. Moreover, we identified 16 candidate lncRNAs as potential targets of miR399, another key regulator of plant Pi homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, our data provide a rich resource of candidate lncRNAs involved in the Pi starvation regulatory network.