植物MicroRNA的研究进展

Research Progress on MicroRNAs in Plant

MicroRNA(miRNA)是生物体内一类非编码小RNA分子,长度为21~24个碱基,主要通过对靶基因mRNA的翻译抑制、降解等负调控方式在转录后水平精确有效地调控基因的表达。近年来研究发现,miRNA在植物生长发育、生理生化进程、逆境响应、器官生成、信号传导、细胞凋亡等多个方面发挥重要的调控作用,其中,在桑树响应非生物逆境胁迫和抵抗黄化型萎缩病等方面起到重要调控作用。本文从植物miRNA的生物合成、作用机制、生物学功能和miRNA及其靶基因的鉴定等方面进行综述,以期为桑树等植物miRNA的深入研究提供一些思路和参考。

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are endogenous non-coding small RNAs containing 21-24 nucleotides,and regulate gene expression precisely and effectively at post-transcriptional level by means of negative regulation of target mRNA ex-pression like translational inhibition or degradation.It was found in recent research that miRNAs play an active role in many aspects like plant growth and development,physiology and biochemistry process,stress response,organ forma-tion,signal transduction,cell apoptosis.Furthermore,miRNAs also positively regulate abiotic stress response and yellow dwarf disease resistance of mulberry.This paper focused on reviewing formation,functional mechanism and biological function of miRNAs and identification of miRNAs and their target genes to provide clues and references for further re-search on plant miRNA.