Epigenetics controls "Junk RNA"


The journal article "Long non-coding RNA-mediated epigenetic response for abiotic stress tolerance in plants" was published in the journal Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science in 2023.

The article reviews the current understanding of the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in mediating epigenetic responses to abiotic stress in plants. LncRNAs are a diverse class of RNAs that are longer than 200 nucleotides but do not encode proteins. They have been shown to play a role in many biological processes, including gene regulation, chromatin remodeling, and epigenetic modification.

The article discusses how lncRNAs can regulate gene expression in response to abiotic stress through a variety of mechanisms, including:

  • Chromatin remodeling: LncRNAs can bind to chromatin remodeling complexes and alter the accessibility of DNA to transcription factors, thereby regulating gene expression.

  • Epigenetic modification: LncRNAs can interact with DNA methylation and histone modification enzymes to regulate the epigenetic state of genes.

  • miRNA mimicry: LncRNAs can act as mimics of microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to and repressing the translation of mRNAs.

The article also discusses how lncRNAs can contribute to stress memory in plants. Stress memory is a phenomenon in which plants that have been exposed to a particular stress are better able to tolerate that stress in the future. LncRNAs can contribute to stress memory by maintaining epigenetic changes that have been induced by stress.

The article concludes by discussing the potential of lncRNAs for engineering climate-resilient plants. By understanding the role of lncRNAs in abiotic stress tolerance, researchers may be able to develop new ways to improve the stress tolerance of crop plants.

Here are some specific examples of how lncRNAs have been shown to mediate epigenetic responses to abiotic stress in plants:

  • In Arabidopsis, the lncRNA COLDAIR acts as a miRNA mimic to repress the expression of genes involved in cold stress tolerance.

  • In rice, the lncRNA NRG1 interacts with a histone demethylation enzyme to promote the expression of genes involved in drought stress tolerance.

  • In soybean, the lncRNA Gm-DREBL1-AS1 acts as a scaffold to recruit a histone methyltransferase enzyme to the promoter of the Gm-DREBL1 gene, which is a key regulator of drought stress tolerance.

These are just a few examples of the many ways in which lncRNAs can mediate epigenetic responses to abiotic stress in plants. As our understanding of lncRNAs grows, we may be able to develop new ways to engineer climate-resilient plants by manipulating the expression of key lncRNAs.

The implications of the article challenges neo-Darwinism in the following ways:

  • Neo-Darwinism focuses on genetic mutations as the primary source of variation for evolution, while epigenetics provides a mechanism for non-heritable variation. LncRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of plant abiotic stress tolerance is a prime example of this, as it allows plants to rapidly adapt to their environment without having to wait for genetic mutations to occur.

  • Neo-Darwinism emphasizes the importance of individual selection, while epigenetics suggests that evolution can also be driven by group selection or even Lamarckian inheritance. LncRNA-mediated epigenetic responses to abiotic stress can be passed down to subsequent generations, even if there is no genetic change. This could lead to the evolution of stress-tolerant populations of plants without the need for individual selection.

  • Neo-Darwinism views evolution as a gradual process, while epigenetics suggests that rapid evolutionary changes are possible. LncRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of plant abiotic stress tolerance is a highly dynamic process that can allow plants to adapt to their environment very quickly. This could help to explain how plants have been able to survive and thrive in a wide range of habitats, despite the fact that the environment is constantly changing.

Here are some specific examples of how lncRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of plant abiotic stress tolerance challenges neo-Darwinism:

  • LncRNAs can regulate the expression of genes involved in stress responses, even if those genes are not mutated. For example, the lncRNA OsDRL1 has been shown to regulate the expression of the drought-response gene OsDREB2A in rice. This means that plants can increase their tolerance to drought without having to wait for a mutation to occur in the OsDREB2A gene itself.

  • LncRNAs can be passed down to subsequent generations, even if there is no genetic change. This means that plants can inherit stress tolerance from their parents, even if they do not have any mutations in the genes involved in stress responses. This could lead to the evolution of stress-tolerant populations of plants without the need for individual selection.

  • LncRNAs can mediate rapid changes in gene expression in response to environmental stressors. This suggests that plants can adapt to their environment very quickly through lncRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation, even without the need for genetic mutations.

Overall, the research on lncRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of plant abiotic stress tolerance provides a strong challenge to neo-Darwinism. It suggests that evolution can be driven by non-heritable variation, group selection, and rapid changes in gene expression. This research is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of how plants evolve.

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