The plant noncoding transcriptome: a versatile environmental sensor

Abstract

Plant noncoding RNA transcripts have gained increasing attention in recent years due to growing evidence that they can regulate developmental plasticity. In this review article, we comprehensively analyze the relationship between noncoding RNA transcripts in plants and their response to environmental cues. We first provide an overview of the various noncoding transcript types, including long and small RNAs, and how the environment modulates their performance. We then highlight the importance of noncoding RNA secondary structure for their molecular and biological functions. Finally, we discuss recent studies that have unveiled the functional significance of specific long noncoding transcripts and their molecular partners within ribonucleoprotein complexes during development and in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Overall, this review sheds light on the fascinating and complex relationship between dynamic noncoding transcription and plant environmental responses, and highlights the need for further research to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms and exploit the potential of noncoding transcripts for crop resilience in the context of global warming.

Update on functional analysis of long non-coding RNAs in common crops

“…To further annotate lncRNAs, their secondary structures will need to be explored at a higher resolution. New sources of lncRNAs were continually being identified and classified ( Chorostecki et al., 2023 ; Li C. et al, 2023 ; Mattick et al., 2023 ).…”

Underground communication: Long non-coding RNA signaling in the plant rhizosphere

“…These include limiting uptake, sequestering heavy metals in vacuoles, employing specific ligands for metal chelation, activating antioxidant systems to mitigate excessive ROS, and inducing detoxification enzymes ( Li et al., 2023 ). lncRNAs are now acknowledged as crucial transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression within intricate systems, playing essential roles in plant growth, development, and response to rhizosphere cues ( Chorostecki et al., 2023 ). This section will use Cd, lead (Pb), aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe) as examples to illustrate how plant lncRNAs regulate transcriptional changes upon exposure to various toxic heavy metals, demonstrating their role in the response ( Supplemental Table 2 ).…”

Sucrose-responsive osmoregulation of plant cell size by a long non-coding RNA

“…lncRNAs are versatile regulators of gene expression, functioning at different cellular levels often providing adaptive mechanisms to various stimuli (12). To date, only a handful of lncRNAs have been functionally characterized and implicated in aspects of plant development (13). In this study, we characterized a newly annotated lncRNA, CARMA (CANAR MODULATOR IN PROTOPHLOEM), which is located in the proximal promoter region of CANAR in Arabidopsis thaliana.…”