Post-Transcriptional Modifications of Plant Small RNAs

Abstract

Generally, small RNAs are generated template dependent by RNA ­polymerases or RNA dependent RNA polymerases with the transcription template being either DNA or RNA. Following transcription, small RNAs in plants undergo processing by Dicer-like RNase III type endonucleases to define their mature 5′ and 3′ termini. Part of the maturation process of small RNAs are post-transcriptional modifications either on the ribose or base moiety of the nucleotide. Additionally, deletion and/or addition of nucleotides by RNA-specific ribonucleotidyl transferases are also plausible (RNA 13:1834–1849, 2007). In this chapter, ubiquitous and sequence specific post-transcriptional modifications of plant small RNAs are discussed as well as their detection through biochemical means or analysis of DNA sequencing data of small RNAs.