Emerging role of plant long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in salinity stress response

Salinity stress typically occurs due to excessive accumulation of water-soluble salts i.e., NaCl, which can further induce osmotic stress, ionic stress as well as oxidative stress in plants, imposing many harmful effects on the growth and development of plants. However, plants respond to salinity stress through a range of cellular mechanisms which provides enhanced tolerance against salinity stress. Genetic regulation of salinity stress response through protein coding transcripts has already been extensively studied; however, involvement of noncoding transcripts such as long noncoding RNAs has recently received significant attention as an important molecule in regulating the plant response during salinity stress. Several salinity stress responsive long non coding RNAs have also been identified and characterized in various plant species. This review is an attempt to critically discuss the role of lncRNAs during salinity stress in plants.