Chapter 10 - Salt stress tolerance and small RNA

Abstract

Abiotic stress, primarily salinity, is considered responsible for widespread loss of farmable land and crop yield. Technological advancement, along with better understanding of plant stress responses, have led to the identification of plant small RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), as potential master regulators for plant development and stress physiology operating at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. These small RNAs are associated with regulation of mRNA degradation, translational repression, chromatin modification, and salt stress responses such as oxidative, mineral nutrient deficiency, dehydration, and osmotic homeostasis. Their array of functions has drawn significant attention and is being considered for the engineering of salt-tolerant transgenic plants. This review focuses on highlighting the various plant small RNAs, their role in plant physiology emphasizing their regulation of salt stress response, and possible development of salt-tolerant cultivars of various crop plants.