Long non-coding RNAs: A promising tool to improve horticultural quality traits

Horticultural crops, including fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants, are important agricultural commodities with high economic value. They are cultivated for food, specific nutrition, and medical proposes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a large class of non-coding RNAs, play a central role in regulating diverse developmental and physiological processes. Recently, high-throughput sequencing has enabled the identification of plant lncRNAs engaged in regulating the quality traits of horticultural crops. Here, we provide a brief overview of the lncRNAs biogenesis, classification, characteristics and localization of lncRNAs. Furthermore, we present a propos workflow for the identification and functional investigation of plant lncRNAs. Subsequently, we examine studies that elucidate the function of lncRNAs in regulating quality traits in diverse horticultural crops, thereby enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms by which lncRNAs regulate quality trait improvements. In the future, it will be necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated quality development in horticultural crops. It is our contention that future studies on lncRNA will provide effective approaches for the improvement of horticultural crops, thereby ensuring global food security.