Overview of Repressive miRNA Regulation by Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM): Applications and Impact on Plant Biology
Syed Muhammad Iqbal Syed Othman,
Arif Faisal Mustaffa,
M. Hafiz Che-Othman,
Abdul Fatah A. Samad,
Hoe-Han Goh,
Zamri Zainal,
Ismanizan Ismail
Affiliations
Syed Muhammad Iqbal Syed Othman
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Arif Faisal Mustaffa
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
M. Hafiz Che-Othman
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Abdul Fatah A. Samad
Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor Bahru 81310, Johor, Malaysia
Hoe-Han Goh
Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Zamri Zainal
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Ismanizan Ismail
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
The application of miRNA mimic technology for silencing mature miRNA began in 2007. This technique originated from the discovery of the INDUCED BY PHOSPHATE STARVATION 1 (IPS1) gene, which was found to be a competitive mimic that prevents the cleavage of the targeted mRNA by miRNA inhibition at the post-transcriptional level. To date, various studies have been conducted to understand the molecular mimic mechanism and to improve the efficiency of this technology. As a result, several mimic tools have been developed: target mimicry (TM), short tandem target mimic (STTM), and molecular sponges (SPs). STTM is the most-developed tool due to its stability and effectiveness in decoying miRNA. This review discusses the application of STTM technology on the loss-of-function studies of miRNA and members from diverse plant species. A modified STTM approach for studying the function of miRNA with spatial–temporal expression under the control of specific promoters is further explored. STTM technology will enhance our understanding of the miRNA activity in plant-tissue-specific development and stress responses for applications in improving plant traits via miRNA regulation.
