Research progress in transcriptional regulation and biological functions of small nuclear RNAs in plants.

Yue WU; Xinyu LI; Xiaoxia DENG; Ling YANG; Haitao HU

Return

Research progress in transcriptional regulation and biological functions of small nuclear RNAs in plants.

Author: Yue WU ¹ ; Xinyu LI ¹ ; Xiaoxia DENG ¹ ; Ling YANG ¹ ; Haitao HU ¹
Author Information

1. College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, Zhejiang, China.
Publication Type:English Abstract
Keywords: SNAPc; biological function; snRNA; transcriptional regulation
MeSH: RNA, Small Nuclear/physiology*; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Transcription, Genetic; Plants/metabolism*; RNA, Plant/genetics*
From: Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(7):2610-2622
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) refer to a class of highly abundant and functionally important non-coding small RNAs that are localized in the eukaryotic nucleus. These snRNAs are highly conserved in different eukaryotes during evolution and form complexes with specific chaperones to fulfill critical biological functions, including precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) modification. Consequently, the regulation of snRNA gene expression is a crucial biological process for plants. In plants, the transcription and processing of snRNAs are regulated by RNA polymerase (Pol), snRNA-activating protein complex (SNAPc), defective in snRNA processing (DSP), and specific cis-elements in the snRNA promoter regions. Proper regulation of snRNA expression is essential for normal plant growth, development, and stress responses. This review summarizes the classification, structures, transcriptional regulation, and biological functions of plant snRNA genes, while outlining future research directions for snRNAs.