Ecologically conditioned imprinting of miRNA-based profiles of <i>Ginkgo biloba</i> L. growing in Slovakia

Abstract Ginkgo biloba L. is characterized by its high level of resistance to climatic conditions, diseases, and pests. In Slovakia, there is a rich collection of genetic resources of ginkgo consisting of 288 trees growing in 103 locations and providing valuable biological material for scientific research. There have been documented 45 trees of ginkgo older than 100 years (ranging from 112 to 242 years of age). Their dendrometrical parameters were recorded. For genomic imprinting, three types of microRNA-based markers were selected; highly conserved gb-miR160, moderately conserved gb-miR482 and the species-specific gb-miR75. The most efficient one can be considered the marker gb-miR482 with its genotype-unique miRNA profiles probably related to this marker functioning in the defence mechanisms of the ginkgo species. Unique miRNA loci were recorded in genomes of young ginkgo trees. We found that, by selecting the appropriate microRNA-based markers, it is possible to characterize the ginkgo genome in the context of microclimatic conditions.