Classification and experimental identification of plant long non-coding RNAs

Abstract

Our understanding of gene regulation is constantly evolving. It is now clear that the majority of cellular transcripts are non-coding RNAs. The spectrum of non-coding RNAs is diverse and includes short (<200 nt) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (>200 nt). LncRNAs regulate gene expression through diverse mechanisms. In this review, we describe the emerging roles of lncRNA mediated plant gene regulation. We discuss the current classification of lncRNAs and their role in genome organization and gene regulation. We also highlight a subset of lncRNAs that are epigenetic regulators of plant gene expression. Lastly, we provide an overview of emerging techniques and databases that are employed for the identification and characterization of plant lncRNAs.