About this Research Topic
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as potential key regulators in gene expression networks, which are transcribed from various DNA elements or generated by noncanonical RNA processing. These complex ncRNAs have greatly increased the diversity of eukaryotic transcriptomes and provided new gene regulatory mechanisms. Although many ncRNAs in plants have been found to be functionally and evolutionarily conserved across species, some ncRNAs are exclusively expressed in certain species. Species-specific ncRNAs emerged relatively recently in evolutionary history and have a wide range of applications in speciation, lineage-specific phenotypic characteristics, developmental processes, and metabolite production. Genetic modification of species-specific ncRNAs can accelerate plant-driven domestication in agriculture, forestry, and horticulture. However, the entire repertoire of species-specific noncoding RNAs in most species is unknown.
Though we have made significant progress in understanding non-conserved ncRNAs in plant growth and response to environmental signaling in the last decade, the influence of newly produced ncRNAs on reshaping transcript regulatory networks during the evolution of species needs to be further studied. Understanding the molecular functions of species-specific ncRNAs is critical to elucidate the evolutionary process of speciation and the formation of special traits. The goal of this Research Topic is to present an overview of the fundamental discoveries in the field of plant species-specific ncRNAs.
We welcome submissions of original research papers, reviews, and methods, including (but not limited to) research on the following sub-themes:
• Species-specific ncRNA function in plant distinct development process
• Plant species-specific ncRNAs in response to complex environment signal
• Distinct transcriptional mechanisms involved plant species-specific ncRNAs
• The role of species-specific ncRNAs in transcriptional regulation of plants
• The evolution of plant species-specific ncRNAs
• Databases involved plant species-specific ncRNAs
• Species-specific ncRNAs for plant genetic improvement
• Methodology of ncRNA identification and function analysis
Though we have made significant progress in understanding non-conserved ncRNAs in plant growth and response to environmental signaling in the last decade, the influence of newly produced ncRNAs on reshaping transcript regulatory networks during the evolution of species needs to be further studied. Understanding the molecular functions of species-specific ncRNAs is critical to elucidate the evolutionary process of speciation and the formation of special traits. The goal of this Research Topic is to present an overview of the fundamental discoveries in the field of plant species-specific ncRNAs.
We welcome submissions of original research papers, reviews, and methods, including (but not limited to) research on the following sub-themes:
• Species-specific ncRNA function in plant distinct development process
• Plant species-specific ncRNAs in response to complex environment signal
• Distinct transcriptional mechanisms involved plant species-specific ncRNAs
• The role of species-specific ncRNAs in transcriptional regulation of plants
• The evolution of plant species-specific ncRNAs
• Databases involved plant species-specific ncRNAs
• Species-specific ncRNAs for plant genetic improvement
• Methodology of ncRNA identification and function analysis
Keywords: species-specific, ncRNA, plant development, evolution, speciation, transcriptional regulation
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