miR159c Expression Under Nanoparticle Stress in Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Calli

The rapid development of nanotechnologies has raised great interest in the use of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) and their release in the environment. The interaction between nanoparticles and crops is currently a topical problem, as nanoparticles are capable to enter the soil, plant cells and to translocate in plants. MicroRNA (miRNA) is an endogenous small RNA with a significant regulatory role in plants, cleaving or repressing the translation of a particular mRNA in response to multiple biotic and abiotic factors. In this work, the expression of miR159c in Linum usitatissimum L. calli cultures caused by various concentrations of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was studied. The obtained results showed an increase in miR159c expression with a decrease in the concentration of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The results obtained are important in explaining the potential of nanoparticle utilisation to provide plant immunity responses.