Discoveries from the past decades revealed that RNA molecules are much more than inert intermediates between the coding DNA sequences and their functional products, proteins. Today, RNAs are recognized as active regulatory molecules influencing gene expression, chromatin organization and genome stability, thus impacting all aspects of plant life including development, growth, reproduction and stress tolerance. Innovations in methodologies, the expanding application of next-generation sequencing technologies, and the creation of public datasets and databases have exposed a new universe of RNA-based mechanisms and led to the discovery of new families of non-coding RNAs, uncovered the large extent of alternative splicing events, and highlighted the potential roles of RNA modifications and RNA secondary structures. Furthermore, considerable advances have been made in identifying RNA-binding and processing factors involved in the synthesis and maturation of different forms of RNA molecules as well as in RNA processing, biochemical modifications or degradation. This Research Topic showcases the broad biological significance of RNAs in plant systems and contains eight original research articles, one review and four mini-reviews, covering various RNA-based mechanisms in higher plants. Emerging new technologies and novel multidisciplinary approaches are empowering the scientific community and will expectedly bring novel insights into our understanding of the mechanisms through which RNA is regulated and regulates biological processes in plant cells.

Plant Small RNA: Biogenesis, Regulation and Application describes the biosynthesis of small RNA in plant systems. With an emphasis on the various molecular mechanisms affected by small RNA and their applications in supporting plant growth and survival, this books presents the basics and most recent advancements in small RNA mediated plant genomics, metabolomics, proteomics and physiology. In addition, it emphasizes the various molecular mechanisms affected by small RNA and their applications in supporting plant growth and survival. Final sections cover the most recent advancements in small RNA mediated plant genomics, metabolomics, proteomics and physiology. - Presents foundational information about small RNA biology and regulation in plants - Includes small RNA pathway advances - Describes the application and scope of small RNA technology for agricultural stability

Molecular Biology of Plants presents the formal scientific presentations delivered on the symposium on plant molecular biology, held at the University of Minnesota in 1976. The topics in this book are organized around the central dogma of molecular biology. Section I describes the organization and replication of DNA in plant chromosomes, including chloroplast genomes; Section II discusses molecular aspects of transcription and translation, ribosomal RNA gene systems and hormonal control of protein synthesis. Section III examines plant viruses and bacterial agents, in particular the crown gall system, viroids, and the replication of plant RNA viruses. Each of these specific topics contributes to an integrated knowledge of plant molecular biology. The book will be of interest to geneticists, cell biologists, plant breeders, plant physiologists, plant pathologists, and biochemists.

The growth of human population has increased the demand for improved yield and quality of crops and horticultural plants. However, plant productivity continues to be threatened by stresses such as heat, cold, drought, heavy metals, UV radiations, bacterial and fungal pathogens, and insect pests. Long noncoding RNAs are associated with various developmental pathways, regulatory systems, abiotic and biotic stress responses and signaling, and can provide an alternative strategy for stress management in plants. Long Noncoding RNAs in Plants: Roles in development and stress provides the most recent advances in LncRNAs, including identification, characterization, and their potential applications and uses. Introductory chapters include the basic features and brief history of development of lncRNAs studies in plants. The book then provides the knowledge about the lncRNAs in various important agricultural and horticultural crops such as cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and fiber crop cotton, and their roles and applications in abiotic and biotic stress management. - Includes the latest advances and research in long noncoding RNAs in plants - Provides alternative strategies for abiotic and biotic stress management in horticultural plants and agricultural crops - Focuses on the application and uses of long noncoding RNAs

Methods in Plant Molecular Biology is a lab manual that introduces students to a diversity of molecular techniques needed for experiments with plant cells. Those included have been perfected and are now presented for the first time in a usable and teachable form. Because the manual integrates protein, RNA, and DNA techniques, it will serve students, teachers, and researchers in plant physiology, biophysics, and animal molecular biology who have no previous experience handling recombinant DNA or purified proteins. It can also be used by the established molecular biologist who wishes to utilize the powerful techniques of recombinant DNA to explore the mysteries of the plant kingdom. - Eight basic experiments which can be used collectively or individually cover - Recombinant Cloning and Screening in E. coli; DNA Sequencing - Plant RNA Isolation and in Vitro Translations - Plant DNA Isolations and Genomic DNA Southern AnalysisChloroplast Isolation and Protein SynthesisPlant Tissue Culture and Agrobacterium Transformations - Experiments that have been student tested for three years - Blueprints for setting up gel rigs - Comprehensive course schedule outlining individual procedures to be finished in each lab segment - Course can be tailored to suit the needs of the individual instructor

Plant gene silencing is a crucially important phenomenon in gene expression and epigenetics. This book describes the way small RNA is produced and acts to silence genes, its likely origins in defence against viruses, and also its potential to improve plants. Plant gene silencing can be used to improve industrial traits, make plants more nutritious or more valuable to consumers, to remove allergens, and to improve resistance to weeds and pathogens.

"A Subject Collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology."

This book is an up-to-date and comprehensive collection of reviews on various aspects of epigenetic gene silencing in plants. Research on this topic has undergone explosive growth during the past decade and has revealed novel features of gene regulation and plant defense responses that also apply to animals and fungi. Gene silencing is relevant for agricultural biotechnology because stable expression of transgenes is required for the successful commercialization of genetically engineered crops. The reviews have been written by distinguished authors who have made significant contributions to plant gene silencing research. This volume supersedes other books on gene silencing by focussing on plant systems, where many pioneering experiments have been performed, and by including the latest developments from top laboratories. The book is geared toward advanced students of genetics and plant sciences as well as applied and basic research scientists who work with transgenic organisms and epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

This detailed volume provides a collection of protocols for the study of miRNA functions in plants. Beginning with coverage of miRNA function, biogenesis, activity, and evolution in plants, the book continues by guiding readers through methods on the identification and detection of plant miRNAs, bioinformatic analyses, and strategies for functional analyses of miRNAs. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant MicroRNAs: Method and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital area of plant science.

Methods in Plant Biochemistry, Volume 1: Plant Phenolics reviews current knowledge about techniques used in the analysis of the biochemistry of plant polyphenols and their importance in the agricultural and food industries. It looks at the application of these techniques in the fractionation of cellular constituents, isolation of enzymes, electrophoretic separation of nucleic acids and proteins, and chromatographic identification of the intermediates and products of cellular metabolism. Organized into 15 chapters, this book opens with an overview of the general procedures and measurement of total phenolics, from detecting phenolic substances in crude plant extracts to determining which classes they belong to and the quantitative estimation of total phenol. The reader is introduced to the chemistry, structural variation, function, and distribution of each class of plant phenolics and, in a few cases where this is practicable, detailed listings of known derivatives are given. Most chapters focus on chromatographic separations and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), along with thin layer and paper Rf values with HPLC retention times and NMR spectroscopy. The book also outlines the procedures for the extraction, isolation, separation, and characterization of different classes of phenolic compounds, ranging from phenols and phenolic acids to phenylpropanoids, lignins, stilbenes and phenanthrenes, flavones and flavonols, chalcones and aurones, flavanoids, anthocyanins, biflavanoids, tannins, isoflavanoids, quinones, xanthones, and lichen substances. The book is a valuable resource for students, biochemists, and researchers in the plant sciences.