Small RNA in plant meiosis and gametogenesis

Abstract

Small RNAs are short non-coding nucleotides and regulate various biological processes in eukaryotes. During past decades, numerous studies have demonstrated the biogenesis of small RNAs and their modes of action in regulating gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Based on the involvement of genes in biogenesis and function, small RNAs can be classified into three categories, miRNA, hc-siRNA, and phasiRNA. With the continuous advances in cell sorting/isolation technology and next-generation sequencing, recent discoveries provided evidence that all three categories play important roles in reproductive development in plants including model plants and crops. This review summarizes the recent findings on small RNAs, their potential targets, and genes involved in small RNA biogenesis in plant reproductive development and mainly focuses on gametogenesis.

Keywords

• Small RNA
• Gametogenesis
• phasiRNA
• miRNA
• AGO
• RdDM