生物技术通报 ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 19-36.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-1434

• 综述与专论 • 上一篇    下一篇

园艺作物果实发育的miRNA调控网络:从分子机制到种质创新

李成泉1(), 史庆华1,2, 杨晓玉1,2()   

  1. 1.山东农业大学园艺科学与工程学院,泰安 271018
    2.农业农村部黄淮地区园艺作物生物学与种质创制重点实验室,泰安 271018
  • 收稿日期:2025-12-28 出版日期:2026-03-26 发布日期:2026-04-23
  • 通讯作者: 杨晓玉,男,博士,教授,研究方向 :甜瓜表观遗传学;E-mail: xiaoyu.yang@sdau.edu.cn
  • 作者简介:李成泉,女,博士研究生,研究方向 :甜瓜表观遗传学;E-mail: lcq2434115933@163.com
  • 基金资助:
    山东省农业良种工程项目(2023LZGCQY021);国家自然科学基金面上项目(32272795);山东省科技型中小企业创新能力提升工程项目(2024TSGC0572);山东省自然科学基金面上项目(ZR2022MC029);山东省蔬菜产业技术体系(SDARS-05)

microRNA-based Regulatory Network for Fruit Development of Horticultural Crops: From Molecular Mechanism to Germplasm Innovation

LI Cheng-quan1(), SHI Qing-hua1,2, YANG Xiao-yu1,2()   

  1. 1.College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018
    2.Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops in Huang-Huai Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tai’an 271018
  • Received:2025-12-28 Published:2026-03-26 Online:2026-04-23

摘要:

园艺作物果实是人类膳食营养的重要来源,其发育过程和品质形成受到复杂遗传网络的精准调控。近年来,随着分子生物学与功能基因组学的发展,以微小RNA(microRNA, miRNA)为代表的非编码RNA作为一类重要的转录后调控因子,在果实发育与品质调控中的作用日益凸显。本文系统综述了miRNA在果实发育中的多重调控功能:首先概述了植物miRNA的保守生物合成途径及其在果实中的表达特征和现有资源;随后依据发育进程详细阐述了miRNA在坐果与早期果实形成、果实膨大、成熟转色与软化,以及品质形成中的核心调控模块与作用机制,特别是miR156/157-SPL、miR172-AP2、miR396-GRF、miR397-LAC、miR828/858-MYB、miR159-GAMYB2与miR164-NAC等模块在果实大小与形态塑造、成熟时序调控、色泽与风味形成、细胞壁改造及货架期维持等方面所发挥的关键作用;进而探讨了miRNA在不同胁迫条件下通过离子稳态、激素及活性氧信号等途径的耦合作用,调控果实发育与品质形成的特征;分析了基于miRNA的基因编辑、STTM和组织特异性表达等策略在分子育种中的应用潜力,并指出了目前该领域在功能验证、调控网络解析和育种实践等方面所面临的挑战。最后,展望了整合多组学、单细胞测序与人工智能等前沿技术,系统解析miRNA调控网络、推动果实性状分子设计育种的研究趋势,以期为深入理解miRNA调控果实发育的分子机理、推动其在园艺作物遗传改良中的应用提供系统的理论参考。

关键词: 园艺作物, 果实发育, microRNA, 靶标基因, 调控机制, 分子育种, 品质形成, 环境胁迫

Abstract:

As an important source of human dietary nutrition, the development and quality formation of fruits from horticultural crops are fine-tuned by sophisticated genetic networks. In the past several years, along with the rapid development of molecular biology and functional genetics, microRNAs (miRNAs), a representative class of non-coding RNAs, have emerged as key post-transcriptional regulators, playing an increasingly prominent role in fruit development and quality control. In this review, the multiple regulatory functions of miRNAs are systematically elucidated during fruit development. Firstly, a brief introduction about the conserved biosynthetic pathways of plant miRNAs and their expression profiles in fruits are provided. Subsequently, the core regulatory modules and functional programs of miRNAs are well described by following the developmental stages, mainly including fruit setting and early initiation, fruit enlargement, ripening-associated coloration and softening, and quality formation. In particular, the key modules such as miR156/157-SPL, miR172-AP2, miR396-GRF, miR397-LAC, miR828/858-MYB, miR159-GAMYB2 and miR164-NAC are highlighted to regulate fruit size and morphological shaping, the timing of ripening, the formation of color and flavor, cell-wall remodeling, the maintenance of shelf life, and so on. Moreover, the action features of miRNAs, mainly via cooperating mineral homeostasis, hormone signaling, reactive oxygen species pathways, are discussed in modulating fruit development and quality under different stressful conditions. The potential application of miRNA-involved strategies, including gene editing, short tandem target mimics (STTM) and tissue-specific expression, is also evaluated in molecular breeding, while simultaneously challenges are highlighted in current miRNA research about functional validation, regulatory network dissection and breeding adoption. Cutting-edge technologies in this field are finally proposed, emphasizing the integration of multi-omics, single-cell sequencing, and artificial intelligence to systematically decipher miRNA regulatory networks and advance the molecular design breeding of fruit traits. Altogether, this review provides a comprehensive theoretical reference for mechanistic understanding of miRNA-mediated regulation in fruit development and its future utilization in genetic enhancement of horticultural crops.

Key words: horticultural crops, fruit development, microRNA, target gene, regulatory mechanism, molecular breeding, quality formation, environmental stress