Light-Dependent Regulatory Interactions between the Redox System and miRNAs and Their Biochemical and Physiological Effects in Plants

Abstract

Light intensity and spectrum play a major role in the regulation of the growth, development, and stress response of plants. Changes in the light conditions affect the formation of reactive oxygen species, the activity of the antioxidants, and, consequently, the redox environment in the plant tissues. Many metabolic processes, thus the biogenesis and function of miRNAs, are redox-responsive. The miRNAs, in turn, can modulate various components of the redox system, and this process is also associated with the alteration in the intensity and spectrum of the light. In this review, we would like to summarise the possible regulatory mechanisms by which the alterations in the light conditions can influence miRNAs in a redox-dependent manner. Daily and seasonal fluctuations in the intensity and spectral composition of the light can affect the expression of miRNAs, which can fine-tune the various physiological and biochemical processes due to their effect on their target genes. The interactions between the redox system and miRNAs may be modulated by light conditions, and the proposed function of this regulatory network and its effect on the various biochemical and physiological processes will be introduced in plants.

Identification of ascorbate‐ and salicylate‐responsive miRNAs and verification of the spectral control of miR395 in Arabidopsis

“…This change results in greater induction of miR395 and smaller expression of ATP sulfurylase4 ( APS4 ) during sulphur starvation than under optimal sulphur supply in far‐red light. The mediator role of the redox system is also supported by the identification of several redox‐responsive miRNAs (Cimini et al 2019; Gulyás et al 2023).…”

“…How to cite this article: Székely, A., Gulyás, Z., Balogh, E., Payet, R., Dalmay, T., Kocsy, G. et al (2023)…”

“…Changes in the light conditions may affect the redox and hormonal system and, subsequently, the expression of miRNAs in plants (Borbély et al 2022; Brini et al 2022; Gulyás et al 2023). However, light‐induced changes in miRNAs levels can also affect the level of ROS, antioxidants, and hormones, indicating a mutual regulation.…”

“…The redox regulation of miRNA levels was shown in several plant species (Gulyás et al, 2023). Comparison of wild-type and transgenic Arabidopsis lines with increased GSH content revealed the influence of GSH on the miRNA transcriptome profile as 96 known miRNAs and 17 novel miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in the two genotypes (Datta et al, 2022).…”

Light-Dependent Control of Metabolism in Plants

“…All five research articles demonstrated the transcriptional regulation of the metabolism by light and two of them [ 2 , 4 ] showed the involvement of the redox system in this process. Thus, the review of Gulyás et al [ 6 ] about the light-dependent interactions between the redox system and miRNAs can be related to all of them since miRNAs can regulate the transcription of their target genes. Although none of the research articles presented the control of metabolism by miRNAs, this research field is worthy for future studies based on the review.…”