miR160: An Indispensable Regulator in Plant

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNA), recognized as crucial regulators of gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, have been found to be involved in the biological processes of plants. Some miRNAs are up- or down-regulated during plant development, stress response, and secondary metabolism. Over the past few years, it has been proved that miR160 is directly related to the developments of different tissues and organs in multifarious species, as well as plant–environment interactions. This review highlights the recent progress on the contributions of the miR160-ARF module to important traits of plants and the role of miR160-centered gene regulatory network in coordinating growth with endogenous and environmental factors. The manipulation of miR160-guided gene regulation may provide a new method to engineer plants with improved adaptability and yield.

A Combination of a Genome-Wide Association Study and a Transcriptome Analysis Reveals circRNAs as New Regulators Involved in the Response to Salt Stress in Maize

“…It has been proven that circRNAs can regulate the gene expression by altering the splicing of their host genes or competing with their target genes to absorb their corresponding miRNAs at post-transcriptional levels [ 62 ]. Several well-known miRNA families of miR160 and miR399 are involved in a salt stress response [ 63 , 64 ]. In this study, we used a comprehensive workflow to investigate the roles of circRNAs in responding to salt stress ( Figure 1 ) and found two hub candidate genes regulated by circRNAs in different patterns.…”

Profiling of phytohormone‐specific microRNAs and characterization of the miR160‐ARF1 module involved in glandular trichome development and artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua

“…The members of the miR160 family are reported to be able to regulate the auxin signal transduction pathway by targeting genes of the ARF family and play central roles in plant growth and development (Hao et al ., 2022). In A. thaliana and tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), multiple ARF TFs are downregulated by miR160 through a translational mechanism (Hendelman et al ., 2012; Li et al ., 2016; Remington et al ., 2004).…”

Nitrogen use efficiency—a key to enhance crop productivity under a changing climate

“…miR167 regulates the lateral root growth response to N starvation in Arabidopsis ( Gifford et al., 2008 ). Conversely, downregulation of the transcription factors ARF10 , ARF16 , and ARF17 by N-responsive miR160 regulates the process of seed germination and development of the seedling after post-germination under N-deficient conditions ( Liu et al., 2007 ; Hao et al., 2022 ). Downregulation of miR169 enhances the expression of the NFYA transcription factors; these genes regulate the function of the nitrate transporter genes, viz., AtNRT1.1 and AtNRT2.1 ( Zhao et al., 2011b ).…”