Role of miRNAs in root development of model plant Arabidopsis thaliana

The molecular regulation of root development is relatively well studied in model plant Arabidopsis as compared to other plants. Besides phytohormones, transcription factors and environmental factors, other important regulators which have recently been shown to play crucial roles in controlling root development are the non-coding RNAs. Small non-coding RNAs of 21–24 nt length (miRNAs and ta-siRNAs) regulate various aspects of plant development by negatively regulating their target genes through transcript cleavage or translational inhibition. In recent past the microRNA-mediated regulation of root development has drawn significant interest in the area of plant research. Several reports have highlighted the role of many miRNAs and ta-siRNAs in root growth, vascular patterning, lateral root (LR) formation and elongation, and adventitious root development, Phytohormones like auxin, cytokinin and environmental factors like light, abiotic and biotic stresses, and nutrient availability influence many miRNA-mediated regulation of root growth and branching. In current review, we summarize the recent advances made in understanding the miRNA-mediated regulation of root development in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The molecular crosstalk between different miRNAs, ta-siRNAs, and concerned target genes that regulate root growth and branching have been addressed.