Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small 21-nt-long noncoding RNAs, involved in posttranscriptional regulation of mRNA either by direct cleavage or translational repression. They are mainly transcribed as independent transcriptional units and their expression differs during different stages of plant development. Plant miRNAs have been well studied during developmental stages and different environmental stress conditions, but their functions and regulatory networks have yet to be understood. Understanding their regulatory roles may open new avenues for crop improvement which is necessary for increased food production to feed the growing population. MicroRNA interference (miRNAi) technology provides an efficient platform for functional studies and agricultural applications.
The first two authors contributed equally.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, for the Special Assistance Programme and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi, for the FIST and DU-DST PURSE program. The Senior Research Fellowship to MP by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, and INSPIRE fellowship to SY by DST are acknowledged.
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Pareek, M., Yogindran, S., Mukherjee, S.K., Rajam, M.V. (2015). Plant MicroRNAs: Biogenesis, Functions, and Applications. In: Bahadur, B., Venkat Rajam, M., Sahijram, L., Krishnamurthy, K. (eds) Plant Biology and Biotechnology. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2283-5_32
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