Expression of lincRNA XLOC_000322 influence the expression of several target genes. a and c, Plot reporting the steady-state level of XLOC_ 000322 (red dots) for each of the 12 experimental conditions analyzed along with the expression of 8 predicted targets genes showing a positive correlation (a) and 5 predicted targets showing a negative correlation (c). The Pearson correlation coefficient for each gene is indicated in parenthesis beside the gene code. b and d, Alignment of the XLOC_000322 transcript with the 8 target genes showing positive correlations (b) and 5 predicted targets showing a negative correlation (d). The region of complementarity between the transcripts is indicated in red on the diagram below, with blue corresponding to RNA of the lincRNA and green and yellow corresponding to the promoter region (2000 nt upstream the transcription start site) and the transcribed region (5′ and 3’UTR, exon and intron) of the target gene, respectively. Details about the alignment length (Aln length), number of mismatch (Nb mismatch) and percentage of base complementarity (Perc compl) are indicated on the left of each panel. e-g, Arabidopsis leaf protoplasts were co-transformed with a plasmid combining a predicted target-firefly luciferase (Fluc) fusion and an independent Renilla luciferase (Rluc), along with 0 (− trans-NAT) or 2 (+ trans-NAT) molar equivalent of an independent plasmid for expression of XLOC_000322. The ratio of Fluc over Rluc activity is plotted for each combination target plasmid in the absence and presence of XLOC_000322. Statistically significant differences based on t-test, p-value < 0.05; at least ten biological replicates