Abstract
Noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interference RNAs (siRNAs), circular RNA (circRNA), and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), control gene expression at the transcription, post-transcription, and translation levels. Apart from protein-coding genes, accumulating evidence supports ncRNAs playing a critical role in shaping plant growth and development and biotic and abiotic stress responses in various species, including legume crops. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) interact with DNA, RNA, and proteins, modulating their target genes. However, the regulatory mechanisms controlling these cellular processes are not well understood. Here, we discuss the features of various ncRNAs, including their emerging role in contributing to biotic/abiotic stress response and plant growth and development, in addition to the molecular mechanisms involved, focusing on legume crops. Unravelling the underlying molecular mechanisms and functional implications of ncRNAs will enhance our understanding of the coordinated regulation of plant defences against various biotic and abiotic stresses and for key growth and development processes to better design various legume crops for global food security.
Highlights
Legumes are the third largest family of flowering plants, and grain legumes are essential components of the human food diet, supplying ‘plant-based dietary proteins’ and essential micronutrients and vitamins [1,2,3]
These ncRNAs are classified as small ncRNAs, comprising miRNAs (21–24 nt long) [6], small interfering RNAs [7], Piwi-interacting RNAs [8] and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) (>200 nt long) [9]. circRNA are another class of ncRNA generated from pre-mRNA
Splicing, featuring closed 30 and 50 ends covalently [10]. In addition to these ncRNAs, small nucleolar RNAs, ribosomal RNAs, and transfer RNAs known as housekeeping ncRNAs are found in plant species [11]
Summary
Legumes are the third largest family of flowering plants, and grain legumes are essential components of the human food diet, supplying ‘plant-based dietary proteins’ and essential micronutrients and vitamins [1,2,3]. Legume crops serve as an essential component for sustaining global food security. Rapid progress in functional genomics, especially transcriptome sequencing by RNA-seq, has given us the opportunity to investigate RNAs that do not code proteins, known as ncRNAs, which control diverse biological functions in the plant kingdom [5]. These ncRNAs are classified as small ncRNAs, comprising miRNAs (21–24 nt long) [6], small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) [7], Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) (generally found in animals) [8] and lncRNAs (>200 nt long) [9].
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