Abstract
Small silencing RNAs of 21- to 24-nucleotide (nt) in length are essential regulatory components expressed in most
eukaryotic organisms. These regulatory small RNAs are produced through pathways that involve several
evolutionarily conserved protein families, including DICER (DCR) or DICER-LIKE (DCL), ARGONAUTE (AGO), and
RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE (RDR). Plants possess multiple functional DCL, RDR, and AGO proteins.
Genetic analyses in themodel plantArabidopsis thaliana have revealedmultiple smallRNA pathways, each utilizing
a distinct set of RNA silencing factors. In this short review, mainly based on thework done on A. thaliana, we give a
brief overviewon themultiple smallRNA-directed silencing pathways inplants,which includes the biogenesis and
function of microRNAs (miRNAs), trans-acting siRNAs (ta-siRNAs), natural cis-antisense transcripts-associated
siRNAs (nat-siRNAs), and heterochromatic siRNAs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 720-724 |
| Journal | Biochim Biophys Acta |
| State | Published - Mar 4 2008 |