miRNA-mediated regulation of auxin signaling pathway during plant development and stress responses

Auxin is one of the most important plant growth hormones, playing a crucial role in development as well as in stress responses. Auxin biosynthesis and signaling pathway comprises a series of events including auxin perception by the receptor, activation, and function of auxin response factors and control by auxin repressors. All these factors are regulated by several different microRNAs during leaf, flower and fruit development, anther development, nodulation, lateral and adventitious root development, potato tuber development as well as during heat stress, submergence, boron toxicity, aluminium stress responses, etc., as depicted in the available literature. In this review a thorough study on miRNA-mediated regulation of auxin biosynthesis and signaling has been done in various plant species. The data gathered can be utilized to point out the particular miRNA-mediated regulation module which can be utilized to modulate the expression of the miRNA and thereby modulation of the auxin pathway. Information in this review would be beneficial to utilize the miRNA expression to generate the protocol for engineering plants with altered auxin signaling pathway to obtain better yield and improved stress tolerance.