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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1509698

Cross-Kingdom Regulation of Gene Expression in Giant Pandas via Plant-Derived miRNA

Provisionally accepted
Helin Tan Helin Tan 1,2Chengdong Wang Chengdong Wang 3*Yue Peng Yue Peng 2*Jiacheng Sima Jiacheng Sima 1*Ying Li Ying Li 4Linhua Deng Linhua Deng 3*Kai Wu Kai Wu 3*Zhongxian Xu Zhongxian Xu 2*Zhang Zejun Zhang Zejun 2*Feng Li Feng Li 5*
  • 1 China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
  • 2 College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3 China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, Sichuan Province, China
  • 4 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong Province, China
  • 5 Key Laboratory of Southwest Wildlife Resources Protection, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) belong to the order Carnivora, but they mainly feed on bamboo, and their unique dietary adaptability has always been the focus of research. Recent research indicates that plant-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) can be delivered to animal organisms via exosomes and exert cross-kingdom regulatory effects on gene expression. To explore the role of plant-derived miRNAs in the dietary adaptation of giant pandas, we collected peripheral blood samples from three groups of pandas: juvenile females, adult females, and adult males-and extracted exosomes from the blood for small RNA sequencing. Additionally, three types of bamboo (shoots, stems, and leaves) consumed by the pandas were sampled for miRNA sequencing. Through comparative analysis, we identified 57 bamboo-derived miRNAs in the extracellular exosomes of giant panda peripheral blood. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analyses of the target genes for these miRNAs revealed their involvement in various pathways, including taste and olfactory signal transduction, digestion and absorption, and hormonal signal transduction. Furthermore, we found that plant-derived miRNAs can modulate dopamine metabolism in giant pandas, thereby influencing their food preferences. This study shows that plant-derived miRNAs can enter the bloodstream of giant pandas and exert cross-kingdom regulatory effects, potentially playing a vital role in their dietary adaptation process.

    Keywords: exosome, Plant-derived miRNA, Cross-kingdom regulatory, giant panda, Dietary transition, Bamboo

    Received: 14 Oct 2024; Accepted: 07 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Tan, Wang, Peng, Sima, Li, Deng, Wu, Xu, Zejun and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Chengdong Wang, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, 611800, Sichuan Province, China
    Yue Peng, College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637002, Sichuan Province, China
    Jiacheng Sima, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
    Linhua Deng, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, 611800, Sichuan Province, China
    Kai Wu, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Ya'an, 611800, Sichuan Province, China
    Zhongxian Xu, College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637002, Sichuan Province, China
    Zhang Zejun, College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637002, Sichuan Province, China
    Feng Li, Key Laboratory of Southwest Wildlife Resources Protection, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China

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