MicroRNA528 and Its Regulatory Roles in Monocotyledonous Plants

MicroRNA528 (miR528) is a microRNA found only in monocotyledonous (monocot) plants. It has been widely reported that miR528 is involved in the regulation of plant growth and development, such as flowering, architecture, and seed and embryogenic development, in addition to playing a crucial role in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses, such as plant pathogens, salt stress, heat/cold stress, water stress, arsenic stress, oxidative stress, heavy-metal stress, and nutrient stress. Given that it is specific to monocot plants, to which the major staple food crops such as rice and wheat belong, a review of studies investigating its diverse functional roles and underlying mechanisms is presented. This review focuses on the processes in which miR528 and its targets are involved and examines their regulatory relationships with significant participation in plant development and stress responses. It is anticipated that more biological functions and evolutionary effects of miRNA targets will be elucidated with the increase in knowledge of miRNA evolution and examination of target mRNAs.