Role of microRNAs and their target genes in salinity response in plants

Salinity is one of the most common environmental stresses that affects plant growth and development. Plants employ complex mechanisms of gene regulation to respond salinity stress. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs with important regulatory roles in plant growth and development. Furthermore, they are also considered as critical cell elements orchestrating plants response to stress conditions. Many approaches, such as molecular cloning and high-throughput sequencing using computational tools have been adapted to profile miRNA expression patterns during abiotic stresses. In fact, the identification of these master regulators could pave the way towards better understanding of the molecular regulation of stress adaptation in plants. Many target genes of miRNAs are transcription factors which further regulate a set of downstream genes to have effects on physiological responses. This review summarizes recent molecular studies on the regulatory roles of plant miRNAs and their target genes in plant metabolism under salt stress conditions.