Department of Biotechnology, School of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences, Central University of Haryana, Haryana, India.
Crop Genetics and Informatics Group, School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2021 Jun;41(4):594-608. doi: 10.1080/07388551.2021.1873238. Epub 2021 Mar 7.
Seed development is an intricate process with multiple levels of regulation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as one of the crucial components of molecular networks underlying agronomically important seed traits in diverse plant species. In fact, loss of function of the genes regulating miRNA biogenesis also exhibits defects in seed development. A total of 21 different miRNAs have experimentally been shown to regulate seed size, nutritional content, vigor, and shattering, and have been reviewed here. The mechanism details of the associated regulatory cascades mediated through transcriptional regulators, phytohormones, basic metabolic machinery, and secondary siRNAs are elaborated. Co-localization of miRNAs and their target regions with seed-related QTLs provides new avenues for engineering these traits using conventional breeding programs or biotechnological interventions. While global analysis of miRNAs using small RNA sequencing studies are expanding the repertoire of candidate miRNAs, recent revelations on their inheritance, transport, and mechanism of action would be instrumental in designing better strategies for optimizing agronomically relevant seed traits.
种子发育是一个复杂的过程，具有多层次的调控。microRNAs（miRNAs）已成为不同植物物种中与农艺重要种子性状相关的分子网络的关键组成部分之一。事实上，调控 miRNA 生物发生的基因的功能丧失也表现出种子发育缺陷。已有 21 种不同的 miRNAs 被实验证明可以调节种子大小、营养含量、活力和破碎，并在此进行了综述。通过转录因子、植物激素、基本代谢机制和二次 siRNAs 介导的相关调控级联的机制细节被详细阐述。miRNAs 及其与种子相关 QTL 区域的共定位为使用传统的育种计划或生物技术干预来工程这些性状提供了新的途径。虽然使用小 RNA 测序研究对 miRNAs 的全局分析正在扩展候选 miRNAs 的范围，但最近关于它们的遗传、运输和作用机制的揭示将有助于设计更好的策略来优化与农业相关的种子性状。
