Paper Title
DROUGHT-RESPONSIVE MIRNAS IN PLANTS

Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known as single-stranded RNA molecules functional in all steps of plant life including growth, development, and stress responses. Plant genomes harbor hundreds of miRNAs, which have diverse functions in regulating numerous biological processes. After being first discovered in plants in the year 2002, thousands of plant miRNAs have been identified so far. With the help of recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies, genome and transcriptome-wide screening of miRNAs in specific conditions and a variety of plants has been conducted. Among the challenging conditions that inversely affect plants, drought stress is one of the main factors limiting plant growth and productivity worldwide. So far, drought-responsive miRNAs have been uncovered in particular plants. Moreover, functional characterizations of some miRNAs provide insights into their role in drought regulatory mechanisms. This review summarizes the most recent findings on miRNA-based drought stress regulation of plants. The study provides insights into the role of miRNAs in the drought stress response of plants. Keywords - Drought; gene regulation; miRNA; plant response; tolerance.