of particular process, future research needs to explore the networks operating at
cellular levels.
Till now, our understanding about the stress regulatory mechanisms has primarily
been confined to model plant species, thus, research efforts need to be channelized to
gain similar level of in-depth knowledge for crop plants. Moreover, analyzing the
function of the above sub-networks in contrasting cultivars exhibiting either tolerance or sensitivity could narrow down regulatory pathways governing tolerance to a
particular stress. These established miRNAs and TFs networks could be pivotal in
guiding future research to engineer or develop plants with desired phenotypes and
stress tolerance ability. These stress resilient crop plants will be able to grow in
adverse climatic conditions, thereby offering a solution to food security to an everincreasing world population.
Acknowledgement Grants from DBT-NIPGR, New Delhi, India, DST-SERB India grant (EMR/
2016/006229), CSIR, DST-ISPIRE and University Grants Commission, Government of India are
acknowledged for providing fellowships. The authors are thankful to DBT-eLibrary Consortium
(DeLCON) for providing access to e-resources.
References
Abdel-Ghany SE, Pilon M (2008) MicroRNA-mediated systemic down-regulation of copper
protein expression in response to low copper availability in Arabidopsis. J Biol Chem 283
(23):15932–15945
Addo-Quaye C, Snyder JA, Park YB, Li YF, Sunkar R, Axtell MJ (2009) Sliced microRNA targets
and precise loop-first processing of MIR319 hairpins revealed by analysis of the Physcomitrella
patens degradome. RNA 15(12):2112–2121
Arshad M, Feyissa BA, Amyot L, Aung B, Hannoufa A (2017) MicroRNA156 improves drought
stress tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) by silencing SPL13. Plant Sci 258:122–136
Aung K, Lin SI, Wu CC, Huang YT, Su CL, Chiou TJ (2006) Pho2, a phosphate overaccumulator,
is caused by a nonsense mutation in a microRNA399 target gene. Plant Physiol 141
(3):1000–1011
Balyan S, Kumar M, Mutum RD, Raghuvanshi U, Agarwzal P, Mathur S, Raghuvanshi S (2017)
Identification of miRNA-mediated drought responsive multi-tiered regulatory network in
drought tolerant rice, Nagina 22. Sci Rep 7(1):1–17
Barakat A, Sriram A, Park J, Zhebentyayeva T, Main D, Abbott A (2012) Genome wide identification of chilling responsive microRNAs in Prunus persica. BMC Genomics 13:481
Bari R, Datt Pant B, Stitt M, Scheible WR (2006) PHO2, microRNA399, and PHR1 define a
phosphate signaling pathway in plants. Plant Physiol 141:988–999
Barku MM, Bashasab F, Sudipta G, Krishnaraj PU (2013) LNA mediated in situ hybridization of
miR171 and miR397a in leaf and ambient root tissues revealed expressional homogeneity in
response to shoot heat shock in Arabidopsis thaliana. J Plant Biochem Biotechnol 23:93–103
Barrera-Figueroa BE, Gao L, Wu Z, Zhou X, Zhu J, Jin H, Liu R, Zhu JK (2012) High throughput
sequencing reveals novel and abiotic stress-regulated microRNAs in the inflorescences of rice.
BMC Plant Biol 12(1):132
Bartels D, Sunkar R (2005) Drought and salt tolerance in plants. Crit Rev Plant Sci 24(1):23–58
Baxter A, Mittler R, Suzuki N (2014) ROS as key players in plant stress signaling. J Exp Bot
65:1229–1240
Beauclair L, Yu A, Bouché N (2010) microRNA-directed cleavage and translational repression of
the copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase mRNA in Arabidopsis. Plant J 62(3):454–462
268
S. Rao et al.
cellular levels.
Till now, our understanding about the stress regulatory mechanisms has primarily
been confined to model plant species, thus, research efforts need to be channelized to
gain similar level of in-depth knowledge for crop plants. Moreover, analyzing the
function of the above sub-networks in contrasting cultivars exhibiting either tolerance or sensitivity could narrow down regulatory pathways governing tolerance to a
particular stress. These established miRNAs and TFs networks could be pivotal in
guiding future research to engineer or develop plants with desired phenotypes and
stress tolerance ability. These stress resilient crop plants will be able to grow in
adverse climatic conditions, thereby offering a solution to food security to an everincreasing world population.
Acknowledgement Grants from DBT-NIPGR, New Delhi, India, DST-SERB India grant (EMR/
2016/006229), CSIR, DST-ISPIRE and University Grants Commission, Government of India are
acknowledged for providing fellowships. The authors are thankful to DBT-eLibrary Consortium
(DeLCON) for providing access to e-resources.
References
Abdel-Ghany SE, Pilon M (2008) MicroRNA-mediated systemic down-regulation of copper
protein expression in response to low copper availability in Arabidopsis. J Biol Chem 283
(23):15932–15945
Addo-Quaye C, Snyder JA, Park YB, Li YF, Sunkar R, Axtell MJ (2009) Sliced microRNA targets
and precise loop-first processing of MIR319 hairpins revealed by analysis of the Physcomitrella
patens degradome. RNA 15(12):2112–2121
Arshad M, Feyissa BA, Amyot L, Aung B, Hannoufa A (2017) MicroRNA156 improves drought
stress tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) by silencing SPL13. Plant Sci 258:122–136
Aung K, Lin SI, Wu CC, Huang YT, Su CL, Chiou TJ (2006) Pho2, a phosphate overaccumulator,
is caused by a nonsense mutation in a microRNA399 target gene. Plant Physiol 141
(3):1000–1011
Balyan S, Kumar M, Mutum RD, Raghuvanshi U, Agarwzal P, Mathur S, Raghuvanshi S (2017)
Identification of miRNA-mediated drought responsive multi-tiered regulatory network in
drought tolerant rice, Nagina 22. Sci Rep 7(1):1–17
Barakat A, Sriram A, Park J, Zhebentyayeva T, Main D, Abbott A (2012) Genome wide identification of chilling responsive microRNAs in Prunus persica. BMC Genomics 13:481
Bari R, Datt Pant B, Stitt M, Scheible WR (2006) PHO2, microRNA399, and PHR1 define a
phosphate signaling pathway in plants. Plant Physiol 141:988–999
Barku MM, Bashasab F, Sudipta G, Krishnaraj PU (2013) LNA mediated in situ hybridization of
miR171 and miR397a in leaf and ambient root tissues revealed expressional homogeneity in
response to shoot heat shock in Arabidopsis thaliana. J Plant Biochem Biotechnol 23:93–103
Barrera-Figueroa BE, Gao L, Wu Z, Zhou X, Zhu J, Jin H, Liu R, Zhu JK (2012) High throughput
sequencing reveals novel and abiotic stress-regulated microRNAs in the inflorescences of rice.
BMC Plant Biol 12(1):132
Bartels D, Sunkar R (2005) Drought and salt tolerance in plants. Crit Rev Plant Sci 24(1):23–58
Baxter A, Mittler R, Suzuki N (2014) ROS as key players in plant stress signaling. J Exp Bot
65:1229–1240
Beauclair L, Yu A, Bouché N (2010) microRNA-directed cleavage and translational repression of
the copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase mRNA in Arabidopsis. Plant J 62(3):454–462
268
S. Rao et al.