zma-mir166c-3p: Zma-miR166c-3p is a member of the miR166 family, a group of microRNAs implicated in the regulation of various genes in plants [PMC4628322]. This miRNA was found to be down-regulated in a dwarf mutant (A1) compared with its corresponding wild type (A9), suggesting its involvement in plant development processes [PMC4628322]. Zma-miR166c-3p, along with other miRNAs from the same family, targets multiple genes including homeobox-leucine zipper proteins and peroxidases, which play roles in plant structure and stress responses [PMC4628322]. Additionally, zma-miR166c-3p is involved in targeting genes responsible for ABA responsive element binding and ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2, which are associated with plant growth regulation and DNA synthesis respectively [PMC4628322]. The gene XPB2 is also predicted to be targeted by zma-miR166c-3p among other miRNAs from the miR166 family, indicating a potential role for this microRNA in DNA repair processes [PMC8472271]. The expression levels of XPB2 were validated for zma-miR166c-3p along with other miRNAs from its family, confirming their regulatory relationship [PMC8472271]. This evidence collectively highlights the significance of zma-miR166c-3p as a regulatory molecule influencing various biological pathways critical to plant development and stress responses.