¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N backbone and side chain NMR resonance assignments for the N-terminal RNA recognition motif of the HvGR-RBP1 protein involved in the regulation of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) senescence

Genomic dissection of plant development and its impact on thousand grain weight in barley through nested association mapping

Flowering time is a key agronomic trait that plays an important role in crop yield. There is growing interest in dissecting the developmental subphases of flowering to better understand and fine-tune plant development and maximize yield. To do this, we used the wild barley nested association mapping (NAM) population HEB-25, comprising 1420 BC1S3 lines, to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling five developmental traits, plant height, and thousand grain weight. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) enabled us to locate a total of 89 QTLs that genetically regulate the seven investigated traits. Several exotic QTL alleles proved to be highly effective and potentially useful in barley breeding. For instance, thousand grain weight was increased by 4.5 g and flowering time was reduced by 9.3 days by substituting Barke elite QTL alleles for exotic QTL alleles at the denso/sdw1 and the Ppd-H1 loci, respectively. We showed that the exotic allele at the semi-dwarf locus denso/sdw1 can be used to increase grain weight since it uncouples the negative correlation between shoot elongation and the ripening phase. Our study demonstrates that nested association mapping of HEB-25 can help unravel the genetic regulation of plant development and yield formation in barley. Moreover, since we detected numerous useful exotic QTL alleles in HEB-25, we conclude that the introgression of these wild barley alleles into the elite barley gene pool may enable developmental phases to be specifically fine-tuned in order to maximize thousand grain weight and, potentially, yield in the long term.

Structural and biochemical analysis of the Hordeum vulgare L. HvGR-RBP1 protein, a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein involved in the regulation of barley plant development and stress response

The timing of whole-plant senescence influences important agricultural traits such as yield and grain protein content. Post-transcriptional regulation by plant RNA-binding proteins is essential for proper control of gene expression, development, and stress responses. Here, we report the three-dimensional solution NMR structure and nucleic acid-binding properties of the barley glycine-rich RNA-binding protein HvGR-RBP1, whose transcript has been identified as being >45-fold up-regulated in early-as compared to late-senescing near-isogenic barley germplasm. NMR analysis reveals that HvGR-RBP1 is a multidomain protein comprising a well-folded N-terminal RNA Recognition Motif (RRM) and a structurally disordered C-terminal glycine-rich domain. Chemical shift differences observed in 2D (1)H-(15)N correlation (HSQC) NMR spectra of full-length HvGR-RBP1 and N-HvGR-RBP1 (RRM domain only) suggest that the two domains can interact both in-trans and intramolecularly, similar to what is observed in the tobacco NtGR-RBP1 protein. Further, we show that the RRM domain of HvGR-RBP1 binds single-stranded DNA nucleotide fragments containing the consensus nucleotide sequence 5'-TTCTGX-3' with low micromolar affinity in vitro. We also demonstrate that the C-terminal glycine-rich (HvGR) domain of Hv-GR-RBP1 can interact nonspecifically with ssRNA in vitro. Structural similarities with other plant glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins suggest that HvGR-RBP1 may be multifunctional. Based on gene expression analysis following cold stress in barley and E. coli growth studies following cold shock treatment, we conclude that HvGR-RBP1 functions in a manner similar to cold-shock proteins and harbors RNA chaperone activity. HvGR-RBP1 is therefore not only involved in the regulation of barley development including senescence, but also functions in plant responses to environmental stress.

Structural basis of nucleic acid binding by Nicotiana tabacum glycine-rich RNA-binding protein: implications for its RNA chaperone function

Glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins (GR-RBPs) are involved in cold shock response of plants as RNA chaperones facilitating mRNA transport, splicing and translation. GR-RBPs are bipartite proteins containing a RNA recognition motif (RRM) followed by a glycine-rich region. Here, we studied the structural basis of nucleic acid binding of full-length Nicotiana tabacum GR-RBP1. NMR studies of NtGR-RBP1 show that the glycine-rich domain, while intrinsically disordered, is responsible for mediating self-association by transient interactions with its RRM domain (NtRRM). Both NtGR-RBP1 and NtRRM bind specifically and with low micromolar affinity to RNA and single-stranded DNA. The solution structure of NtRRM shows that it is a canonical RRM domain. A HADDOCK model of the NtRRM-RNA complex, based on NMR chemical shift and NOE data, shows that nucleic acid binding results from a combination of stacking and electrostatic interactions with conserved RRM residues. Finally, DNA melting experiments demonstrate that NtGR-RBP1 is more efficient in melting CTG containing nucleic acids than isolated NtRRM. Together, our study supports the model that self-association of GR-RBPs by the glycine-rich region results in cooperative unfolding of non-native substrate structures, thereby enhancing its chaperone function.