Delecia Utley

1 Introduction Harnessing the power of symbiotic relationships formed between plants and beneficial microbes will be key to advancing sustainable agriculture. These symbiotic relationships enhance nutrient uptake, improve soil health, and reduce the reliance on chemical inputs. Legumes are unique in their ability to form symbiotic relationships with both phosphorus-acquiring arbuscular mycorrhizae and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia.

Abstract Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closed-loop RNAs forming a covalent bond between their 3' and 5' ends, the backsplice junction (BSJ), rendering them resistant to exonucleases and thus more stable compared to linear RNAs. Identification of circRNAs and distinction from its cognate linear RNA is only possible by sequencing the BSJ that is unique to the circRNA. CircRNAs are involved in regulation of their cognate RNAs by increasing transcription rates, RNA stability and alternative splicing.