MicroRNA: A Mobile Signal Mediating Information Exchange within and beyond Plant Organisms

Abstract

This review encapsulates the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs), small endogenous noncoding RNAs, in mediating information exchange within plant organisms and between plants and diverse biological organisms. The mobility of miRNAs is focused upon various contexts, such as intraplant and interplant communication, grafting, and within parasitic plant complexes. Furthermore, the movement of miRNAs between plants and pathogens, as well as their transfer from plants to insects, is explored, underlining their broader biological significance. The possible mechanisms of miRNA mobility are summarized, including plasmodesmata (PD)-mediated, vesicle-mediated, and phloem-based transport, which are thoroughly examined. Finally, we discuss and summarize the biotechnological and agricultural applications of mobile miRNAs in crop improvement and disease resistance, pointing out future research directions and unresolved questions in the field.

Keywords:

• Graft
• insect
• mobile miRNA
• parasitism
• pathogen

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant 32171979), the Excellent Youth Fund of Shandong Province (grant ZR2022YQ21), the Taishan Program of Shandong Province (grants tsqn202211190 and tsqn202306246), and Program for Scientific Research Innovation Team of Young Scholar in Universities of Shandong Province (grant 2021KJ029), the Major Science and Technology Project of Plant Breeding in Zhejiang Province (Grant No: 2021C02065-2), and the Pioneer and Leading Goose R&D Program of Zhejiang (Grant No: 2022C02051).