Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as critical components of gene regulatory networks across a plethora of plant species. In particular, the 20–30 nucleotide small ncRNAs (sRNAs) play important roles in mediating both developmental processes and responses to biotic stresses. Based on variation in their biogenesis pathways, a number of different sRNA classes have been identified, and their specific functions have begun to be characterized. Here, we review the current knowledge of the biogenesis of the primary sRNA classes, microRNA (miRNA) and small nuclear RNA (snRNA), and their respective secondary classes, and discuss the roles of sRNAs in plant–pathogen interactions. sRNA mobility between species is also discussed along with potential applications of sRNA–plant–pathogen interactions in crop improvement technologies.
Highlights
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have taken the scientific community by storm
Over the past decade, non-coding RNAs have taken the scientific community by storm
Defined as RNAs that are transcribed from DNA but not translated into proteins, ncRNAs have been implicated in a host of different epigenetic regulatory mechanisms and have been shown to exert regulatory effects primarily through complementary base pair matching with messenger RNAs (Phillips, 2008)
Summary
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have taken the scientific community by storm. These sRNAs play myriad important roles in plant gene regulation through targeted degradation and/or translational silencing of mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level, collectively termed RNA interference (RNAi) (Pattanayak et al, 2012).
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