MicroRNAs Roles in Plants Secondary Metabolism

ABSTRACT

Plant growth and development is dependent on the regulation of classes of microRNAs (miRNAs) that have emerged as important gene regulators. These miRNAs can regulate plant gene expression to function. They play an important roles in biological homeostasis and environmental response controls. A wide range of plant biological and metabolic processes, including developmental timing, tissues specific development, and differentiation, depends on miRNAs. They perpetually regulate secondary metabolite functions in different plant family lines. Mapping of molecular phylogenies shows the distribution of secondary metabolism in the plant territory. More importantly, a lot of information related to miRNA regulatory processes in plants is revealed, but the role of miRNAs in secondary metabolism regulation and functions of the metabolites are still unclear. In this review, we pinnacle some potential miRNAs regulating the secondary metabolite biosynthesis activities in plants. This will provide an alternative knowledge for functional studies of secondary metabolism.

KEYWORDS:

• MicroRNAs
• molecular phylogenies
• primary metabolism and
• Secondary metabolism

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Sichuan Agricultural University, China, for providing support to the present study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest in this research.

Author contributions

MOA conceived the idea and designed the manuscript. ZX, MM, and FR collected literatures and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. MJ critically advised and evaluated the manuscript for further correction.

Data Availability

Biochemistry of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functions of Plant Secondary Metabolites and their Exploitation in Biotechnology, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-7799(00)01454-2

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 31770743; 31971704 (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn) National Natural Science Foundation of China [31770743; 31971704].