LncRNAOmics: A Comprehensive Review of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Plants

The large portion of the eukaryotic genomes was considered non-functional and called the “dark matter” of the genome, now appearing as regulatory hubs coding for RNAs without potential for making proteins, known as non-coding RNA. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is defined as functional RNA molecules having lengths larger than 200 nucleotides without the potential of coding for proteins. Thousands of lncRNAs are identified in different plants and animals. LncRNAs are characterized by low abundance, fewer exons than mRNA, exhibit tissue-specific expression, and low sequence conservation compared to protein-coding genes (PCGs). LncRNAs, like PCGs, are regulated by promoters and enhancers with characteristic chromatin signatures, DNA methylation, multiple exons, introns, and alternate splicing. LncRNAs interact with DNA, mRNA, microRNA, and proteins, including chromatin/histone modifiers, transcription factors/repressors, epigenetic regulators, spliceosomal, and RNA-binding proteins. Recent observations indicate that lncRNAs code for small peptides, also called micropeptides (< 100 amino acids), and are involved in development and growth of plants, suggesting bi-functional activities of lncRNAs. LncRNAs have emerged as the major regulators of diverse functions, principally by altering the transcription of target genes. LncRNAs are involved in plant growth, development, immune responses, and various physiological processes. Abiotic, biotic, nutrient, and other environmental stresses alter the expressions of numerous lncRNAs. Understanding the mechanisms of actions of lncRNAs opens up the possibility of improving agronomic traits by manipulating lncRNAs. However, further studies are required to find the interactions among the deregulated lncRNAs and validate the findings from high throughput studies to harness their potential in crop improvement.