Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as transcriptional regulators in plants and animals. To date, they have been reported to regulate various biological processes, such as phosphate homeostasis, grain yield, and fertility in rice (Oryza sativa L.). However, the lncRNAs involved in abiotic stress responses remain poorly identified in rice. In this study, we analyzed the expression profiles of lncRNAs using public rice transcriptome datasets derived from abiotic stress-treated samples. We found that the expression of thousands of rice lncRNAs was significantly altered in the shoot and root tissues under different abiotic stresses (drought, high salinity, low temperature, and abscisic acid). We selected six novel drought-induced lncRNAs (DRILs, specifically DRIL1 to DRIL6) for further study. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed the differential expression patterns of these DRILs under various stress conditions. The expression of abiotic stress-responsive genes was upregulated in the protoplasts by transiently overexpressed DRIL1 and DRIL4. Therefore, DRILs may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of abiotic stress-responsive genes in rice.

中文翻译：

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水稻中干旱诱导的长链非编码 RNA (DRIL) 的鉴定和表征

长链非编码 RNA (lncRNA) 在植物和动物中充当转录调节因子。迄今为止，据报道它们调节各种生物过程，例如水稻 (Oryza sativa L.) 的磷酸盐稳态、谷物产量和生育力。然而，参与非生物胁迫反应的 lncRNAs 在水稻中的鉴定仍然很差。在这项研究中，我们使用来自非生物胁迫处理样品的公共水稻转录组数据集分析了 lncRNA 的表达谱。我们发现在不同的非生物胁迫（干旱、高盐度、低温和脱落酸）下，数千个水稻 lncRNA 的表达在地上部和根部组织中发生了显着变化。我们选择了六种新型干旱诱导的 lncRNA（DRIL，特别是 DRIL1 至 DRIL6）进行进一步研究。实时聚合酶链反应分析揭示了这些 DRIL 在各种压力条件下的差异表达模式。通过瞬时过表达的 DRIL1 和 DRIL4，非生物胁迫响应基因的表达在原生质体中上调。因此，DRILs可能参与了水稻非生物胁迫响应基因的转录调控。