Research Progress on Plant Long Non-Coding RNA

Abstract

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that were once considered “dark matter” or “transcriptional noise” in genomes are research hotspots in the field of epigenetics. The most well-known microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding, small molecular weight RNAs with lengths of 20–24 nucleotides that are highly conserved throughout evolution. Through complementary pairing with the bases of target sites, target gene transcripts are cleaved and degraded, or translation is inhibited, thus regulating the growth and development of organisms. Unlike miRNAs, which have been studied thoroughly, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of poorly conserved RNA molecules with a sequence length of more than 200 nucleotides and no protein encoding capability; they interact with large molecules, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, and regulate protein modification, chromatin remodeling, protein functional activity, and RNA metabolism in vivo through cis- or trans-activation at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic levels. Research on plant lncRNAs is just beginning and has gradually emerged in the field of plant molecular biology. Currently, some studies have revealed that lncRNAs are extensively involved in plant growth and development and stress response processes by mediating the transmission and expression of genetic information. This paper systematically introduces lncRNA and its regulatory mechanisms, reviews the current status and progress of lncRNA research in plants, summarizes the main techniques and strategies of lncRNA research in recent years, and discusses existing problems and prospects, in order to provide ideas for further exploration and verification of the specific evolution of plant lncRNAs and their biological functions.