Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Regulatory non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which can be short or long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), control a wide range of biological processes in plants. ncRNAs have a variety of forms, including microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), lncRNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs), and derived ncRNAs, depending on their mode of biogenesis and function. Through interactions with homologous sequences, ncRNAs function as riboregulators to control plants’ development, growth, and stress response signaling. Insights into the roles of non-coding RNAs in plant biology might be of great importance to understand the regulatory pathways used in different plant processes and the development of genetically modified improved crop varieties via ncRNA manipulation.

For this Special Issue, the goal is to solicit submission of any articles to understand the regulatory roles of plant non-coding RNAs and their applications for crop improvement. The subtopics are as follows:

The identification and functional characterization of microRNA, lncRNAs, and other ncRNAs in plant.
ncRNA-based transgenic and biotechnology.
CRISPR-based editing of plant ncRNAs.
Computational tools for the functional analysis of plant ncRNAs.
Plant ncRNA databases.
Understanding the mechanistic roles of ncRNAs in plants’ stress response signaling.
Novel techniques, methods, and ideas for analyzing plant ncRNAs.
High-throughput sequencing-based analysis of plant ncRNAs.

Prof. Dr. Sujay Paul
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Non-Coding RNA is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

plant
ncRNAs
growth and development
stress response signaling
transgenic
gene regulation

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 3783 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of lncRNAs in Lupinus mutabilis (Tarwi) and Their Potential Role in Drought Response

by Manuel Hidalgo, Cynthia Ramos and Gaston Zolla

Non-Coding RNA 2023, 9(5), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna9050048 - 23 Aug 2023

Viewed by 2016

Abstract

Lupinus mutabilis is a legume with high agronomic potential and available transcriptomic data for which lncRNAs have not been studied. Therefore, our objective was to identify, characterize, and validate the drought-responsive lncRNAs in L. mutabilis. To achieve this, we used a multilevel approach based on lncRNA prediction, annotation, subcellular location, thermodynamic characterization, structural conservation, and validation. Thus, 590 lncRNAs were identified by at least two algorithms of lncRNA identification. Annotation with the PLncDB database showed 571 lncRNAs unique to tarwi and 19 lncRNAs with homology in 28 botanical families including Solanaceae (19), Fabaceae (17), Brassicaceae (17), Rutaceae (17), Rosaceae (16), and Malvaceae (16), among others. In total, 12 lncRNAs had homology in more than 40 species. A total of 67% of lncRNAs were located in the cytoplasm and 33% in exosomes. Thermodynamic characterization of S03 showed a stable secondary structure with −105.67 kcal/mol. This structure included three regions, with a multibranch loop containing a hairpin with a SECIS-like element. Evaluation of the structural conservation by CROSSalign revealed partial similarities between L. mutabilis (S03) and S. lycopersicum (Solyc04r022210.1). RT-PCR validation demonstrated that S03 was upregulated in a drought-tolerant accession of L. mutabilis. Finally, these results highlighted the importance of lncRNAs in tarwi improvement under drought conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding RNA and Their Regulatory Roles in Plant)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

25 pages, 846 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

The Emerging Role of Non-Coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in Plant Growth, Development, and Stress Response Signaling

by Amit Yadav, Jyotirmaya Mathan, Arvind Kumar Dubey and Anuradha Singh

Non-Coding RNA 2024, 10(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna10010013 - 07 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1713

Abstract

Plant species utilize a variety of regulatory mechanisms to ensure sustainable productivity. Within this intricate framework, numerous non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a crucial regulatory role in plant biology, surpassing the essential functions of RNA molecules as messengers, ribosomal, and transfer RNAs. ncRNAs represent an emerging class of regulators, operating directly in the form of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). These ncRNAs exert control at various levels, including transcription, post-transcription, translation, and epigenetic. Furthermore, they interact with each other, contributing to a variety of biological processes and mechanisms associated with stress resilience. This review primarily concentrates on the recent advancements in plant ncRNAs, delineating their functions in growth and development across various organs such as root, leaf, seed/endosperm, and seed nutrient development. Additionally, this review broadens its scope by examining the role of ncRNAs in response to environmental stresses such as drought, salt, flood, heat, and cold in plants. This compilation offers updated information and insights to guide the characterization of the potential functions of ncRNAs in plant growth, development, and stress resilience in future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Non-Coding RNA and Their Regulatory Roles in Plant)

► Show Figures