GENE REGULATORY NETWORKS IN CROP IMPROVEMENT: INTEGRATING TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS, NON-CODING RNAS AND MULTI-OMICS- A REVIEW

Abstract

Crop improvement generally needs more and more to know how genes in interaction determines yield, nutritional quality, resource-use efficiency and stress resilience Gene regulatory networks are composed of transcription factors, cis-regulatory elements, microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and downstream pathways showing how regulatory variations affect gene expression in tissues, developmental stages and environments. This review covers network architecture, critical regulatory components and tools available for the detection and verification of interactions. Integration of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and epigenomics analyses of the relationships between molecular variation and crop performance has been facilitated here, with single-cell technologies revealing cell-specific regulators. Network knowledge can be used to breed for higher productivity, quality and climatic adaptation, and regulatory genome editing can change gene expression without harming the essential functions. but gene duplication, regulatory complexity, sensitivity to environment as well as distinguishing fidelity from quality further add practical challenges to apply. For example, interventions can have off-target effects in other tissues, developmental stages and genetic backgrounds. For successful and efficient implementation, the use of a combined molecular data, independent in vitro proof, realistic stress sanitation and assessment of actual performance under diverse conditions in the harvest phase. Future initiatives should make more effort on dynamic, cell-resolved and environment-sensitive networks with an emphasis on predicting uncertainty. Transferring high-performing crop varieties using conventional breeding directed by developmentally, genetically and post-translationally engineered regulatory mechanisms via precise gene editing has the ability to enhance this wild sector of planned agricultural intensification, including food and nutrition security alongside long term enhanced crop resilience.