Regulation of RNA Metabolism in Plant Development and Stress Responses

Posttranscriptional regulation of RNA metabolism, including RNA processing, splicing, editing, transport, translational control and turnover, is a key regulatory process in plant growth, development, and stress responses. A variety of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) plays central roles during these cellular processes. Over the last decades, a considerable progress has been made in the identification and functional analysis of RBPs involved in growth, development, and stress response of plants. Identification of different family members of RBPs and determination of their functional roles in RNA metabolism shed light on the importance of the regulation of RNA metabolism and the role of RBPs as a central regulator in diverse cellular processes. In particular, recent reports demonstrate the emerging idea that certain RBPs perform a function as RNA chaperones during growth, development, and stress response of plants.