The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant Biotechnology

Improving crop yield potential is crucial to meet the increasing demands of a rapidly expanding global population in an ever-changing and challenging environment. Therefore, different technological approaches have been proposed over the last decades to accelerate plant breeding. Among them, artifici...

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Main Authors: Luis Alberto Bravo-Vázquez, Ana Marta Castro-Pacheco, Rodrigo Pérez-Vargas, Joceline Fernanda Velázquez-Jiménez, Sujay Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Non-Coding RNA
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-553X/11/2/19
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author Luis Alberto Bravo-Vázquez
Ana Marta Castro-Pacheco
Rodrigo Pérez-Vargas
Joceline Fernanda Velázquez-Jiménez
Sujay Paul
author_facet Luis Alberto Bravo-Vázquez
Ana Marta Castro-Pacheco
Rodrigo Pérez-Vargas
Joceline Fernanda Velázquez-Jiménez
Sujay Paul
author_sort Luis Alberto Bravo-Vázquez
collection DOAJ
description Improving crop yield potential is crucial to meet the increasing demands of a rapidly expanding global population in an ever-changing and challenging environment. Therefore, different technological approaches have been proposed over the last decades to accelerate plant breeding. Among them, artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) represent an innovative tool with remarkable potential to assist plant improvement. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of endogenous, small (20–24 nucleotides), non-coding RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. They are associated with most biological processes of a plant, including reproduction, development, cell differentiation, biotic and abiotic stress responses, metabolism, and plant architecture. In this context, amiRNAs are synthetic molecules engineered to mimic the structure and function of endogenous miRNAs, allowing for the targeted silencing of specific nucleic acids. The current review explores the diverse applications of amiRNAs in plant biology and agriculture, such as the management of infectious agents and pests, the engineering of plant metabolism, and the enhancement of plant resilience to abiotic stress. Moreover, we address future perspectives on plant amiRNA-based gene silencing strategies, highlighting the need for further research to fully comprehend the potential of this technology and to translate its scope toward the widespread adoption of amiRNA-based strategies for plant breeding.
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spelling doaj-art-e2afa343834d44eba14958e1dded8b772025-08-20T03:13:45ZengMDPI AGNon-Coding RNA2311-553X2025-03-011121910.3390/ncrna11020019The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant BiotechnologyLuis Alberto Bravo-Vázquez0Ana Marta Castro-Pacheco1Rodrigo Pérez-Vargas2Joceline Fernanda Velázquez-Jiménez3Sujay Paul4School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Queretaro 76130, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Queretaro 76130, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Queretaro 76130, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Queretaro 76130, MexicoSchool of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Queretaro 76130, MexicoImproving crop yield potential is crucial to meet the increasing demands of a rapidly expanding global population in an ever-changing and challenging environment. Therefore, different technological approaches have been proposed over the last decades to accelerate plant breeding. Among them, artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) represent an innovative tool with remarkable potential to assist plant improvement. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of endogenous, small (20–24 nucleotides), non-coding RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. They are associated with most biological processes of a plant, including reproduction, development, cell differentiation, biotic and abiotic stress responses, metabolism, and plant architecture. In this context, amiRNAs are synthetic molecules engineered to mimic the structure and function of endogenous miRNAs, allowing for the targeted silencing of specific nucleic acids. The current review explores the diverse applications of amiRNAs in plant biology and agriculture, such as the management of infectious agents and pests, the engineering of plant metabolism, and the enhancement of plant resilience to abiotic stress. Moreover, we address future perspectives on plant amiRNA-based gene silencing strategies, highlighting the need for further research to fully comprehend the potential of this technology and to translate its scope toward the widespread adoption of amiRNA-based strategies for plant breeding.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-553X/11/2/19artificial miRNAsgene silencingplant breedingcrop improvementplant stressfunctional genomics
spellingShingle Luis Alberto Bravo-Vázquez
Ana Marta Castro-Pacheco
Rodrigo Pérez-Vargas
Joceline Fernanda Velázquez-Jiménez
Sujay Paul
The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant Biotechnology
Non-Coding RNA
artificial miRNAs
gene silencing
plant breeding
crop improvement
plant stress
functional genomics
title The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant Biotechnology
title_full The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant Biotechnology
title_fullStr The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant Biotechnology
title_full_unstemmed The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant Biotechnology
title_short The Emerging Applications of Artificial MicroRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Plant Biotechnology
title_sort emerging applications of artificial microrna mediated gene silencing in plant biotechnology
topic artificial miRNAs
gene silencing
plant breeding
crop improvement
plant stress
functional genomics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-553X/11/2/19
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