ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a discussion on the effects of high temperature stress in plants and the physiological and cellular processes that occur along with the transcriptional regulation of these processes. It discusses an overview of types of microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in heat stress and their regulation is plants, followed by their involvement in heat shock and heat stress memory, flowering, reproduction and yield, interaction with phytohormones and cross talk with other abiotic stresses. MicroRNA involvement in plant heat stress responses have been defined in numerous plants comprising important economic crops. The flowering stage is particularly heat sensitive and the appropriate temperature is critical for flowering time regulation. There are a few studies looking specifically at crop improvement rather than miRNA functions and designing studies with this focus would add to the understanding of the role of miRNAs in crop heat stress tolerance. The chapter also discusses the use of microRNAs as a technology for plant breeding and biotechnology.
