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Tiny Yet Indispensable Plant MicroRNAs Are Worth to Explore as Key Components for Combating Genotoxic Stresses
Moumita Roy Chowdhury1, Jolly Basak2
1Computational Structural Biology Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|October 23, 2019
Summary
Plants utilize microRNAs (miRNAs) to manage DNA damage from genotoxic stress. This review explores how these small RNAs contribute to DNA repair and genomic stability in plants, highlighting future research directions.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Plants face constant genotoxic stresses, leading to DNA damage and genomic instability.
- DNA repair mechanisms are crucial for plant survival under adverse conditions.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known regulators of gene expression and are implicated in various cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current literature on plant responses to genotoxic stress.
- To explore the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in plant DNA repair pathways and genomic stability.
- To identify challenges and future prospects for using miRNAs in combating DNA damage in plants.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of scientific articles on genotoxic stress, DNA repair, and microRNAs in plants.
- Synthesis of information regarding plant-specific responses to DNA damage.
- Analysis of the involvement of miRNAs in genotoxic stress response and ROS scavenging.
Main Results:
- Genotoxic stresses induce DNA damage, threatening plant genomic integrity.
- Plants possess evolved DNA repair mechanisms to counteract these stresses.
- Emerging evidence suggests microRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in regulating DNA repair pathways in plants.
Conclusions:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potential key regulators in plant DNA repair and stress response.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms of miRNA-mediated DNA repair in plants.
- Understanding miRNA functions could offer novel strategies for enhancing plant resilience to genotoxic stress.
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