Implications of small RNAs in plant development, abiotic stress response and crop improvement in changing climate

RNA sequencing technology has revealed a vast number of small RNAs (sRNAs) involved in plant development, stress management, and crop improvement. With improvements in molecular biology techniques and bioinformatic tools, sRNAs and their regulations have taken a mainstream position in various research fields, including plant science. Moreover, recent findings emphasize the significance of ncRNAs and sRNAs in spliceosome machinery. Non-coding RNAs in plants consist of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), transfer RNAs (tRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) (19–25 nt), short interfering RNAs (21–23 nt), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (over 200 nt). The miRNAs and siRNAs have similar sizes but originate from structurally different RNA molecules and follow distinct biogenesis pathways with different modes of action. Uncovering their impact on plant developmental patterns and stress regulatory mechanisms assumed paramount importance in plant stress biology, specifically projects focused on crop improvement. Plants constantly face and adapt to environmental stresses that hinder their growth and development. Adverse effects of abiotic stresses, such as drought, heat, cold, and salinity, on plant productivity are well documented. With the onset of environmental stresses, certain sRNAs and ncRNAs take up prominent roles in cellular homeostasis and coordinate the stress responses. This review explores the functions of sRNAs and their interactions during plant development and stress regulation. The theme of this paper becomes pertinent given the challenge of developing crops for future environments. Graphical abstract