Circular RNA in Rice (Oryza sativa)

Circular RNAs are a group of non-coding RNAs with a closed-loop structure that produce via the atypical alternative splicing event in all eukaryotic species. As a result of current advances in sequencing technologies and data analysis tools, an enormous number of circRNAs have been recognized in different animal and plant species. In contrary to the extensive researches of circRNAs in animals, circRNA investigation in plants is in its early phase. However, the genome-wide prediction of circRNAs in plants is rapidly emerging, indicating the important biological roles of circRNAs in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this chapter, we describe the circRNA biosynthesis and its features in plants and compare it with animals when required. We also provide the bioinformatics resources for plant circRNA discovery and review the putative biological functions of circRNA in plants.