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Micro RNAs and Short-interfering RNAs in Plants
Ramanjulu Sunkar,
Jian-Kang Zhu,
Corresponding Author
Ramanjulu Sunkar
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
*Author for correspondence. Tel:+1 405 744 7896; Fax: +1 405 744 7799; E-mail: <[email protected]>.Search for more papers by this authorJian-Kang Zhu
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 95251, USA
Search for more papers by this authorRamanjulu Sunkar,
Jian-Kang Zhu,
Corresponding Author
Ramanjulu Sunkar
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
*Author for correspondence. Tel:+1 405 744 7896; Fax: +1 405 744 7799; E-mail: <[email protected]>.Search for more papers by this authorJian-Kang Zhu
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 95251, USA
Search for more papers by this authorSupport by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station and the OCAST Plant Science Research (OPSR).
Publication of this paper is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30624808).
Abstract
Gene silencing can occur either at the transcriptional level or post-transcriptional level or both. Many instances of sequence-specific silencing requires small RNAs that can be divided into two major classes: microRNAs (miRNAs) and short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs). miRNAs function in post-transcriptional gene silencing by guiding mRNA degradation or translational repression. Endogenous siRNAs are more diverse in plants than in animals and can direct post-transcriptional gene silencing through mRNA degradation or transcriptional gene silencing by triggering DNA methylation and histone modifications. This review discusses recent advances in the field of small RNA-guided gene silencing in plants including rice.
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