TITLE:
MicroRNAs: The Potential Biomarkers in Plant Stress Response
AUTHORS:
Sonali Bej, Jolly Basak
KEYWORDS:
MicroRNAs; Biomarker; Plant Stress Response
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.5,
March
19,
2014
ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNA
regulatory molecules of approximate 20-24 nucleotides that are involved in regulating
the intrinsic growth and development of organs in plants and animals as well as
in maintaining the integrity of genomes. Past few years have witnessed an
increase in research reports on the crucial role of miRNAs in plant stress
response. Plant miRNAs regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional
level not only by suppression of mRNA translation but also by direct cleavage
of the target mRNAs. This review starts with a brief overview on small RNAs
including miRNAs, biogenesis of miRNA and focuses mainly on the various up and
down-regulated plant miRNAs under different biotic and abiotic stresses showing
advancement of studies about miRNA and their stress regulation pathway. This
review explores the emerging role of miRNAs as potential biomarkers in plant
stress responses.