College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271002, China.
Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Non-Grain Feed Resources (Co-Construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 28;24(9):7978. doi: 10.3390/ijms24097978.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of non-coding small RNAs, are crucial regulatory factors in plants and animals at the post-transcriptional level. These tiny molecules suppress gene expression by complementary oligonucleotide binding to sites in the target messenger. Recently, the discovery of plant-derived miRNAs with cross-kingdom abilities to regulate gene expression in insects has promoted exciting discussion, although some controversies exist regarding the modulation of insect development by plant-derived miRNAs. Here, we review current knowledge about the mechanisms of miRNA biogenesis, the roles of miRNAs in coevolution between insects and plants, the regulation of insect development by plant-derived miRNAs, the cross-kingdom transport mechanisms of plant-derived miRNAs, and cross-kingdom regulation. In addition, the controversy regarding the modulation of insect development by plant-derived miRNAs also was discussed. Our review provides new insights for understanding complex plant-insect interactions and discovering new strategies for pest management and even crop genetic improvement.
微小 RNA（miRNAs）是一类非编码的小分子 RNA，在动植物中是至关重要的转录后水平调控因子。这些微小分子通过与靶信使 RNA 上的互补寡核苷酸结合来抑制基因表达。最近，发现了具有跨物种调控基因表达能力的植物源性 miRNAs，这在昆虫中引起了广泛的讨论，尽管对于植物源性 miRNAs 对昆虫发育的调控仍存在一些争议。在这里，我们综述了 miRNA 生物发生的机制、miRNAs 在昆虫与植物协同进化中的作用、植物源性 miRNAs 对昆虫发育的调控、植物源性 miRNAs 的跨物种运输机制以及跨物种调控的最新知识。此外，还讨论了植物源性 miRNAs 对昆虫发育的调控争议。我们的综述为理解复杂的植物-昆虫相互作用以及发现新的害虫治理策略甚至作物遗传改良策略提供了新的见解。
