植物microRNA与逆境响应研究进展

Advances in plant microRNA and stresses response

MicroRNA(miRNA)是一类在生物体内普遍存在的非编码、长度约16～29nt的小分子RNA,由内源基因编码,于转录后水平通过介导靶mRNA降解或翻译抑制调控基因表达,是真核细胞基因表达的重要调控因子。随着生物信息学与研究技术的发展,越来越多的植物miRNA得到预测和验证。逆境胁迫下,植物体诱导或下调相关miRNA表达,参与植物逆境生理调节与适应。文章综述了植物miRNA生物合成、与靶基因的作用方式、生物功能以及逆境胁迫响应miRNA,概要介绍了目前常用的miRNA研究方法。

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are endogenous 16-29 nt non-coding small RNAs that were are generally found in species and typically encoded by endogenous genes. They play an important regulatory role at post-transcription level by targeting mRNA cleavage and translation repression. More and more plant miRNAs had been predicted and identified along with the development of bioinformatics and experimental techniques. At stress conditions, plant miRNAs also play a role in adaptation by up-regulating or down-regulating the miRNA expression. The biogenesis, action mode with target genes, bio-logical functions of plant miRNAs, as well as the stress-responsive miRNAs, were reviewed and the methodologies of miRNA study were also briefly summarized in this paper.