Rhizospheric miRNAs affect the plant microbiota.

Small ribonucleic acids (RNAs) have been shown to play important roles in cross-kingdom communication, notably in plant-pathogen relationships. Plant micro RNAs (miRNAs)-one class of small RNAs-were even shown to regulate gene expression in the gut microbiota. Plant miRNAs could also affect the rhizosphere microbiota.

Rhizospheric Plant-Microbe Interactions: miRNAs as a Key Mediator.

The importance of microorganisms in plant development, nutrition, and stress resistance is unquestioned and has led to a more holistic approach of plant-microbe interactions, under the holobiont concept. The structure of the plant microbiota is often described as host driven, especially in the rhizosphere, where microbial communities are shaped by diverse rhizodeposits. Gradually, this anthropogenic vision is fading and being replaced by the idea that plants and microorganisms co-shape the plant microbiota.