Expression of miRNAs in exosome mutants.

<p>miRNA families, miR-159a, miR-167a, miR-173 and variations in sequence length in each family. smRNAs mapped to matching mature miR-159, miR-167miR-173, and miR-167 sequences <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1003411#pgen.1003411-Kozomara1" target="_blank">[94]</a>(miRBase release 18) were plotted versus the sum of their normalized reads per million (rpm) from smRNA libraries constructed from RRP4, <i>rrp4-i</i>, RRP41, <i>rrp41-i</i>, RRP41<i>/nrpd1, rrp41 iRNAi/nrpd1</i>, RRP4 <i>iRNAi/nrpe1 and rrp41 iRNAi/nrpd1</i> mutants. Detection of miRNAs by Northern Blot analysis demonstrates that mature miRNA levels are not affected by exosome depletion, and confirms the results of bioinformatic analysis. Total RNA stained with ethidium bromide was used as a loading control.