Abstract:
Drought stress causes changes in the morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular
characteristics of plants. The response to drought in different plants may vary from avoidance,
tolerance and escape to recovery from stress. This response is genetically programmed and
regulated in a very complex yet synchronized manner. The crucial genetic regulations mediated
by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have emerged as game-changers in modulating the plant
responses to drought and other abiotic stresses. The ncRNAs interact with their targets to form
potentially subtle regulatory networks that control multiple genes to determine the overall
response of plants. Many long and small drought-responsive ncRNAs have been identified and
characterized in different plant varieties. The miRNA-based research is better documented, while
lncRNA and transposon-derived RNAs are relatively new, and their cellular role is beginning to
be understood. In this review, we have compiled the information on the categorization of non coding RNAs based on their biogenesis and function. We also discuss the available literature on
the role of long and small non-coding RNAs in mitigating drought stress in plants.
