Challenges of small RNA technology

Abstract

Plant small RNAs are largely non-coding, regulatory RNAs that act with a sequence-specific binding capacity to regulate target gene expression, either before transcription, a process called transcriptional gene silencing (TGS), or after transcription, a process called post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) or RNA interference (RNAi), in general. Emerging evidence from high-throughput sequencing technologies leads us in characterizing several categories and groups of small RNAs. They play essential roles in complex biological processes under various physiological conditions. Small RNA-mediated gene silencing has been proven as a promising and powerful genetic tool for the improvement of crop plants and agriculture. It has emerged as a means to probe the function of a gene of interest on a whole-genome scale. Parallel to the enormous potential and applications, this technology has met with several new challenges, such as the off-target effects, delivery of optimum and sufficient small RNAs at the targeted cells, its measure for persistence in the environment, and several ethical issues.

Keywords

Next-generation sequencing; Non-coding RNAs; Off-target effects; Post-transcriptional gene silencing; RNA interference; Small RNA technology; Small RNAs; Spray-induced gene silencing

Published in

Title: Plant Small RNA : Biogenesis, Regulation and Application
ISBN: 9780128171127, eISBN: 9780128173367Publisher: Elsevier

SLU Authors

• Singh, Ravi Kumar

  • Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Genetics


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817112-7.00024-9

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/129836