Long Noncoding RNA: An Uncharted Territory in Plant Diseases and Immunity.

Many plant long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contain small open reading frames (sORFs) that encode functional micropeptides, revealing a dual role in plant immunity.

• Why it matters: Understanding the functions of lncRNAs in plant defense systems is crucial, as they are key components of host immune responses and may offer new strategies for disease resistance.
• What they did: The review discusses advances in computational, AI, and machine learning methods used to identify plant lncRNAs and their sORFs, along with insights into their regulatory roles during host-pathogen interactions.
• The result: The discovery that lncRNAs encode micropeptides suggests they have multiple functions as both regulatory transcripts and peptide precursors, expanding the understanding of plant immune mechanisms.