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Rosenkranz RRE, Vraggalas S, Keller M, Sankaranarayanan S, McNicoll F, Löchli K, Bublak D, Benhamed M, Crespi M, Berberich T, Bazakos C, Feldbrügge M, Schleiff E, Müller-McNicoll M, Zarnack K, Fragkostefanakis S. A plant-specific clade of serine/arginine-rich proteins regulates RNA splicing homeostasis and thermotolerance in tomato. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae730. [PMID: 39180404 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Global warming poses a threat for crops, therefore, the identification of thermotolerance mechanisms is a priority. In plants, the core factors that regulate transcription under heat stress (HS) are well described and include several HS transcription factors (HSFs). Despite the relevance of alternative splicing in HS response and thermotolerance, the core regulators of HS-sensitive alternative splicing have not been identified. In tomato, alternative splicing of HSFA2 is important for acclimation to HS. Here, we show that several members of the serine/arginine-rich family of splicing factors (SRSFs) suppress HSFA2 intron splicing. Individual-nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) combined with RNA-Seq revealed that RS2Z35 and RS2Z36, which make up a plant-specific clade of SR proteins, not only regulate HSFA2 but approximately 50% of RNAs that undergo HS-sensitive alternative splicing, with preferential binding to purine-rich RNA motifs. Single and double CRISPR rs2z mutant lines show a dysregulation of splicing and exhibit lower basal and acquired thermotolerance compared to wild type plants. Our results suggest that RS2Z35 and RS2Z36 have a central role in mitigation of the negative effects of HS on RNA splicing homeostasis, and their emergence might have contributed to the increased capacity of plants to acclimate to high temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remus R E Rosenkranz
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Molecular and Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stavros Vraggalas
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Molecular and Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mario Keller
- Buchmann Institute of Molecular Life Sciences & Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Computational RNA Biology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - François McNicoll
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, RNA Regulation in Higher Eukaryotes, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Karin Löchli
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Molecular and Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniela Bublak
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Molecular and Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Moussa Benhamed
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay-CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - Martin Crespi
- Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay-CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - Thomas Berberich
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christos Bazakos
- Department of Comparative Development and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Köln, Germany
- Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, ELGO DEMETER, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Institute of Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Enrico Schleiff
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Molecular and Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michaela Müller-McNicoll
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, RNA Regulation in Higher Eukaryotes, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Biophysics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kathi Zarnack
- Buchmann Institute of Molecular Life Sciences & Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Computational RNA Biology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sotirios Fragkostefanakis
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Molecular and Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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2
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Gao Q, Zeng Z, Hao T, Zhang Z, Liang D, Xia C, Gao H, Liu L. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of chloroplast development by nuclear-localized XAP5 CIRCADIAN TIMEKEEPER. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 343:112081. [PMID: 38579979 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Chlorophyll biosynthesis and breakdown, important cellular processes for photosynthesis, occur in the chloroplast. As a semi-autonomous organelle, chloroplast development is mainly regulated by nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins and proteins encoded by itself. However, the knowledge of chloroplast development regulated by other organelles is limited. Here, we report that the nuclear-localized XAP5 CIRCADIAN TIMEKEEPER (XCT) is essential for chloroplast development in Arabidopsis. In this study, significantly decreased chlorophyll content phenotypes of cotyledons and subsequently emerging organs from shoot apical meristem were observed in xct-2. XCT is constitutively expressed in various tissues and localized in the nuclear with speckle patterns. RNA-seq analysis identified 207 differently spliced genes and 1511 differently expressed genes, in which chloroplast development-, chlorophyll metabolism- and photosynthesis-related genes were enriched. Further biochemical assays suggested that XCT was co-purified with the well-known splicing factors and transcription machinery, suggesting dual functions of XCT in gene transcription and splicing. Interestingly, we also found that the chlorophyll contents in xct-2 significantly decreased under high temperature and high light condition, indicating XCT integrates temperature and light signals to fine-tune the chlorophyll metabolism in Arabidopsis. Therefore, our results provide new insights into chloroplast development regulation by XCT, a nuclear-localized protein, at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-agriculture Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Ziyang Zeng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-agriculture Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Tianqi Hao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-agriculture Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Ziru Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-agriculture Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Daan Liang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-agriculture Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Congcong Xia
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-agriculture Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China
| | - Hui Gao
- College of Marine Resources and Environment, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066600, China.
| | - Lei Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-agriculture Biotechnology around Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300, China.
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Abulfaraj AA, Alshareef SA. Concordant Gene Expression and Alternative Splicing Regulation under Abiotic Stresses in Arabidopsis. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:675. [PMID: 38927612 PMCID: PMC11202685 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The current investigation endeavors to identify differentially expressed alternatively spliced (DAS) genes that exhibit concordant expression with splicing factors (SFs) under diverse multifactorial abiotic stress combinations in Arabidopsis seedlings. SFs serve as the post-transcriptional mechanism governing the spatiotemporal dynamics of gene expression. The different stresses encompass variations in salt concentration, heat, intensive light, and their combinations. Clusters demonstrating consistent expression profiles were surveyed to pinpoint DAS/SF gene pairs exhibiting concordant expression. Through rigorous selection criteria, which incorporate alignment with documented gene functionalities and expression patterns observed in this study, four members of the serine/arginine-rich (SR) gene family were delineated as SFs concordantly expressed with six DAS genes. These regulated SF genes encompass cactin, SR1-like, SR30, and SC35-like. The identified concordantly expressed DAS genes encode diverse proteins such as the 26.5 kDa heat shock protein, chaperone protein DnaJ, potassium channel GORK, calcium-binding EF hand family protein, DEAD-box RNA helicase, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase 6. Among the concordantly expressed DAS/SF gene pairs, SR30/DEAD-box RNA helicase, and SC35-like/1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase 6 emerge as promising candidates, necessitating further examinations to ascertain whether these SFs orchestrate splicing of the respective DAS genes. This study contributes to a deeper comprehension of the varied responses of the splicing machinery to abiotic stresses. Leveraging these DAS/SF associations shows promise for elucidating avenues for augmenting breeding programs aimed at fortifying cultivated plants against heat and intensive light stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aala A. Abulfaraj
- Biological Sciences Department, College of Science & Arts, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh 21911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sahar A. Alshareef
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Arts at Khulis, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 21921, Saudi Arabia;
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Wu ZH, He LL, Wang CC, Liang C, Li HY, Zhong DW, Dong ZX, Zhang LJ, Zhang XQ, Ge LF, Chen S. Unveiling unique alternative splicing responses to low temperature in Zoysia japonica through ZjRTD1.0, a high-quality reference transcript dataset. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2024; 176:e14280. [PMID: 38644527 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Inadequate reference databases in RNA-seq analysis can hinder data utilization and interpretation. In this study, we have successfully constructed a high-quality reference transcript dataset, ZjRTD1.0, for Zoysia japonica, a widely-used turfgrass with exceptional tolerance to various abiotic stress, including low temperatures and salinity. This dataset comprises 113,089 transcripts from 57,143 genes. BUSCO analysis demonstrates exceptional completeness (92.4%) in ZjRTD1.0, with reduced proportions of fragmented (3.3%) and missing (4.3%) orthologs compared to prior datasets. ZjRTD1.0 enables more precise analyses, including transcript quantification and alternative splicing assessments using public datasets, which identified a substantial number of differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) and differential alternative splicing (DAS) events, leading to several novel findings on Z. japonica's responses to abiotic stresses. First, spliceosome gene expression influenced alternative splicing significantly under abiotic stress, with a greater impact observed during low-temperature stress. Then, a significant positive correlation was found between the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding protein kinases and the frequency of DAS events, suggesting the role of protein phosphorylation in regulating alternative splicing. Additionally, our results suggest possible involvement of serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) in generating inclusion/exclusion isoforms under low-temperature stress. Furthermore, our investigation revealed a significantly enhanced overlap between DEGs and differentially alternatively spliced genes (DASGs) in response to low-temperature stress, suggesting a unique co-regulatory mechanism governing transcription and splicing in the context of low-temperature response. In conclusion, we have proven that ZjRTD1.0 will serve as a reliable and useful resource for future transcriptomic analyses in Z. japonica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Hao Wu
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang-Liang He
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cong-Cong Wang
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chen Liang
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Han-Ying Li
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan-Wen Zhong
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhao-Xia Dong
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Juan Zhang
- Shenzhen Tourism College of Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiang-Qian Zhang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Liang-Fa Ge
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shu Chen
- Department of Grass Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Guangzhou, China
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Shamnas v M, Singh A, Kumar A, Mishra GP, Sinha SK. Exitrons: offering new roles to retained introns-the novel regulators of protein diversity and utility. AOB PLANTS 2024; 16:plae014. [PMID: 38566894 PMCID: PMC10985678 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plae014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Exitrons are exonic introns. This subclass of intron retention alternative splicing does not contain a Pre-Terminating stop Codon. Therefore, when retained, they are always a part of a protein. Intron retention is a frequent phenomenon predominantly found in plants, which results in either the degradation of the transcripts or can serve as a stable intermediate to be processed upon induction by specific signals or the cell status. Interestingly, exitrons have coding ability and may confer additional attributes to the proteins that retain them. Therefore, exitron-containing and exitron-spliced isoforms will be a driving force for creating protein diversity in the proteome of an organism. This review establishes a basic understanding of exitron, discussing its genesis, key features, identification methods and functions. We also try to depict its other potential roles. The present review also aims to provide a fundamental background to those who found such exitronic sequences in their gene(s) and to speculate the future course of studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammed Shamnas v
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Akanksha Singh
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Lilly Hall of Life Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette 47906, Indiana, USA
| | - Anuj Kumar
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Gyan Prakash Mishra
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Subodh Kumar Sinha
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India
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Liu M, Zhu J, Huang H, Chen Y, Dong Z. Comparative analysis of nascent RNA sequencing methods and their applications in studies of cotranscriptional splicing dynamics. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:4304-4324. [PMID: 37708036 PMCID: PMC10689179 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput detection of nascent RNA is critical for studies of transcription and much more challenging than that of mRNA. Recently, several massively parallel nascent RNA sequencing methods were established in eukaryotic cells. Here, we systematically compared 3 classes of methods on the same pure or crude nuclei preparations: GRO-seq for sequence nuclear run-on RNAs, pNET-seq for sequence RNA polymerase II-associated RNAs, and CB RNA-seq for sequence chromatin-bound (CB) RNAs in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). To improve the resolution of CB RNAs, 3'CB RNA-seq was established to sequence the 3' ends of CB RNAs. In addition, we modified pNET-seq to establish the Chromatin Native Elongation Transcript sequencing (ChrNET) method using chromatin as the starting material for RNA immunoprecipitation. Reproducibility, sensitivity and accuracy in detecting nascent transcripts, experimental procedures, and costs were analyzed, which revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each method. We found that pNET and GRO methods best detected active RNA polymerase II. CB RNA-seq is a simple and cost-effective alternative for nascent RNA studies, due to its high correlation with pNET-seq and GRO-seq. Compared with pNET, ChrNET has higher specificity for nascent RNA capture and lower sequencing cost. 3'CB is sensitive to transcription-coupled splicing. Using these methods, we identified 1,404 unknown transcripts, 4,482 unannotated splicing events, and 60 potential recursive splicing events. This comprehensive comparison of different nascent/chromatin RNA sequencing methods highlights the strengths of each method and serves as a guide for researchers aiming to select a method that best meets their study goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiafu Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Huijuan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhicheng Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Chen L, Xu Z, Huang J, Shu H, Hui Y, Zhu D, Wu Y, Dong S, Wu Z. Plant immunity suppressor SKRP encodes a novel RNA-binding protein that targets exon 3' end of unspliced RNA. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:1467-1483. [PMID: 37658678 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
The regulatory roles of RNA splicing in plant immunity are emerging but still largely obscure. We reported previously that Phytophthora pathogen effector Avr3c targets a soybean protein SKRP (serine/lysine/arginine-rich protein) to impair soybean basal immunity by regulating host pre-mRNA alternative splicing, while the biochemical nature of SKRP remains unknown. Here, by using Arabidopsis as a model, we studied the mechanism of SKRP in regulating pre-mRNA splicing and plant immunity. AtSKRP confers impaired plant immunity against Phytophthora capsici and associates with spliceosome component PRP8 and splicing factor SR45, which positively and negatively regulate plant immunity, respectively. Enhanced crosslinking and immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (eCLIP-seq) showed AtSKRP is a novel RNA-binding protein that targets exon 3' end of unspliced RNA. Such position-specific binding of SKRP is associated with its activity in suppressing intron retention, including at positive immune regulatory genes UBP25 and RAR1. In addition, we found AtSKRP self-interact and forms oligomer, and these properties are associated with its function in plant immunity. Overall, our findings reveal that the immune repressor SKRP is a spliceosome-associated protein that targets exon 3' end to regulate pre-mRNA splicing in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Chen
- Department of Plant Pathology, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), and The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhihui Xu
- National Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Bioinformatics Center, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Department of Plant Pathology, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), and The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Haidong Shu
- Department of Plant Pathology, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), and The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yufan Hui
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- School of Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Danling Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yufeng Wu
- National Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Bioinformatics Center, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Suomeng Dong
- Department of Plant Pathology, Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), and The Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zhe Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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Dwivedi SL, Quiroz LF, Reddy ASN, Spillane C, Ortiz R. Alternative Splicing Variation: Accessing and Exploiting in Crop Improvement Programs. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15205. [PMID: 37894886 PMCID: PMC10607462 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a gene regulatory mechanism modulating gene expression in multiple ways. AS is prevalent in all eukaryotes including plants. AS generates two or more mRNAs from the precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) to regulate transcriptome complexity and proteome diversity. Advances in next-generation sequencing, omics technology, bioinformatics tools, and computational methods provide new opportunities to quantify and visualize AS-based quantitative trait variation associated with plant growth, development, reproduction, and stress tolerance. Domestication, polyploidization, and environmental perturbation may evolve novel splicing variants associated with agronomically beneficial traits. To date, pre-mRNAs from many genes are spliced into multiple transcripts that cause phenotypic variation for complex traits, both in model plant Arabidopsis and field crops. Cataloguing and exploiting such variation may provide new paths to enhance climate resilience, resource-use efficiency, productivity, and nutritional quality of staple food crops. This review provides insights into AS variation alongside a gene expression analysis to select for novel phenotypic diversity for use in breeding programs. AS contributes to heterosis, enhances plant symbiosis (mycorrhiza and rhizobium), and provides a mechanistic link between the core clock genes and diverse environmental clues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis Felipe Quiroz
- Agriculture and Bioeconomy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road, H91 REW4 Galway, Ireland
| | - Anireddy S N Reddy
- Department of Biology and Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Charles Spillane
- Agriculture and Bioeconomy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road, H91 REW4 Galway, Ireland
| | - Rodomiro Ortiz
- Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 23053 Alnarp, SE, Sweden
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Zhou S, Zhao F, Zhu D, Zhang Q, Dai Z, Wu Z. Coupling of co-transcriptional splicing and 3' end Pol II pausing during termination in Arabidopsis. Genome Biol 2023; 24:206. [PMID: 37697420 PMCID: PMC10496290 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03050-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Arabidopsis, RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) often pauses within a few hundred base pairs downstream of the polyadenylation site, reflecting efficient transcriptional termination, but how such pausing is regulated remains largely elusive. RESULT Here, we analyze Pol II dynamics at 3' ends by combining comprehensive experiments with mathematical modelling. We generate high-resolution serine 2 phosphorylated (Ser2P) Pol II positioning data specifically enriched at 3' ends and define a 3' end pause index (3'PI). The position but not the extent of the 3' end pause correlates with the termination window size. The 3'PI is not decreased but even mildly increased in the termination deficient mutant xrn3, indicating 3' end pause is a regulatory step early during the termination and before XRN3-mediated RNA decay that releases Pol II. Unexpectedly, 3'PI is closely associated with gene exon numbers and co-transcriptional splicing efficiency. Multiple exons genes often display stronger 3' end pauses and more efficient on-chromatin splicing than genes with fewer exons. Chemical inhibition of splicing strongly reduces the 3'PI and disrupts its correlation with exon numbers but does not globally impact 3' end readthrough levels. These results are further confirmed by fitting Pol II positioning data with a mathematical model, which enables the estimation of parameters that define Pol II dynamics. CONCLUSION Our work highlights that the number of exons via co-transcriptional splicing is a major determinant of Pol II pausing levels at the 3' end of genes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixian Zhou
- Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Fengli Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Danling Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qiqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ziwei Dai
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Zhe Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Jiang B, Zhong Z, Su J, Zhu T, Yueh T, Bragasin J, Bu V, Zhou C, Lin C, Wang X. Co-condensation with photoexcited cryptochromes facilitates MAC3A to positively control hypocotyl growth in Arabidopsis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh4048. [PMID: 37556549 PMCID: PMC10411877 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh4048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Cryptochromes (CRYs) are blue light receptors that mediate plant photoresponses through regulating gene expressions. We recently reported that Arabidopsis CRY2 could form light-elicited liquid condensates to control RNA methylation. However, whether CRY2 condensation is involved in other gene expression-regulatory processes remains unclear. Here, we show that MOS4-associated complex subunits 3A and 3B (MAC3A/3B) are CRY-interacting proteins and assembled into nuclear CRY condensates. mac3a3b double mutants exhibit hypersensitive photoinhibition of hypocotyl elongation, suggesting that MAC3A/3B positively control hypocotyl growth. We demonstrate the noncanonical activity of MAC3A as a DNA binding protein that modulates transcription. Genome-wide mapping of MAC3A-binding sites reveals that blue light enhances the association of MAC3A with its DNA targets, which requires CRYs. Further evidence indicates that MAC3A and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) occupy overlapping genomic regions and compete for the same targets. These results argue that photocondensation of CRYs fine-tunes light-responsive hypocotyl growth by balancing the opposed effects of HY5 and MAC3A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bochen Jiang
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zhenhui Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jun Su
- Basic Forestry and Proteomics Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Tengfei Zhu
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
| | - Timothy Yueh
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jielena Bragasin
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Victoria Bu
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Charles Zhou
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chentao Lin
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Basic Forestry and Proteomics Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
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11
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Fu G, Chen B, Pei X, Wang X, Wang X, Nazir MF, Wang J, Zhang X, Xing A, Pan Z, Lin Z, Peng Z, He S, Du X. Genome-wide analysis of the serine carboxypeptidase-like protein family reveals Ga09G1039 is involved in fiber elongation in cotton. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 201:107759. [PMID: 37321040 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The Gossypium is a model genus for understanding polyploidy and the evolutionary pattern of inheritance. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of SCPLs in different cotton species and their role in fiber development. A total of 891 genes from one typical monocot and ten dicot species were naturally divided into three classes based on phylogenetic analysis. The SCPL gene family in cotton has undergone intense purifying selection with some functional variation. Segmental duplication and whole genome duplication were shown to be the two main reasons for the increase in the number of genes during cotton evolution. The identification of Gh_SCPL genes exhibiting differential expression in particular tissues or response to environmental stimuli provides a new measure for the in-depth characterization of selected genes of importance. Ga09G1039 was involved in the developmental process of fibers and ovules, and it is significantly different from proteins from other cotton species in terms of phylogenetic, gene structure, conserved protein motifs and tertiary structure. Overexpression of Ga09G1039 significantly increased the length of stem trichomes. Ga09G1039 may be a serine carboxypeptidase protein with hydrolase activity, according to functional region, prokaryotic expression, and western blotting analysis. The results provide a comprehensive overview of the genetic basis of SCPLs in Gossypium and further our knowledge in understanding the key aspects of SCPLs in cotton with their potential role in fiber development and stress resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Baojun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Xinxin Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Xiaoyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Mian Faisal Nazir
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Xiaomeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Aishuang Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Zhaoe Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Zhongxu Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Zhen Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Shoupu He
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
| | - Xiongming Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.
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12
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Bielewicz D, Dolata J, Bajczyk M, Szewc L, Gulanicz T, Bhat SS, Karlik A, Jozwiak M, Jarmolowski A, Szweykowska-Kulinska Z. Hyponastic Leaves 1 Interacts with RNA Pol II to Ensure Proper Transcription of MicroRNA Genes. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 64:571-582. [PMID: 37040378 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcad032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Hyponastic Leaves 1 (HYL1) [also known as Double-stranded RNA-Binding protein 1 (DRB1)] is a double-stranded RNA-binding protein involved in microRNA (miRNA) processing in plants. It is a core component of the Microprocessor complex and enhances the efficiency and precision of miRNA processing by the Dicer-Like 1 protein. In this work, we report a novel function of the HYL1 protein in the transcription of miRNA (MIR) genes. HYL1 colocalizes with RNA polymerase II and affects its distribution along MIR genes. Moreover, proteomic experiments revealed that the HYL1 protein interacts with many transcription factors. Finally, we show that the action of HYL1 is not limited to MIR genes and impacts the expression of many other genes, a majority of which are involved in plastid organization. These discoveries indicate HYL1 as an additional player in gene regulation at the transcriptional level, independent of its role in miRNA biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawid Bielewicz
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
- Centre for Advanced Technologies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Jakub Dolata
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Mateusz Bajczyk
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Lukasz Szewc
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Tomasz Gulanicz
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
- Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun 87-100, Poland
| | - Susheel S Bhat
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Anna Karlik
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Monika Jozwiak
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Artur Jarmolowski
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Zofia Szweykowska-Kulinska
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
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13
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Marquardt S, Petrillo E, Manavella PA. Cotranscriptional RNA processing and modification in plants. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1654-1670. [PMID: 36259932 PMCID: PMC10226594 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The activities of RNA polymerases shape the epigenetic landscape of genomes with profound consequences for genome integrity and gene expression. A fundamental event during the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression is the coordination between transcription and RNA processing. Most primary RNAs mature through various RNA processing and modification events to become fully functional. While pioneering results positioned RNA maturation steps after transcription ends, the coupling between the maturation of diverse RNA species and their transcription is becoming increasingly evident in plants. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the crosstalk between RNA Polymerase II, IV, and V transcription and nascent RNA processing of both coding and noncoding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Marquardt
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Ezequiel Petrillo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET-UBA), Buenos Aires, C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Pablo A Manavella
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (CONICET-UNL), Cátedra de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe 3000, Argentina
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14
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Jin Y, Ivanov M, Dittrich AN, Nelson AD, Marquardt S. LncRNA FLAIL affects alternative splicing and represses flowering in Arabidopsis. EMBO J 2023:e110921. [PMID: 37051749 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022110921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
How the noncoding genome affects cellular functions is a key biological question. A particular challenge is to distinguish the effects of noncoding DNA elements from long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that coincide at the same loci. Here, we identified the flowering-associated intergenic lncRNA (FLAIL) in Arabidopsis through early flowering flail mutants. Expression of FLAIL RNA from a different chromosomal location in combination with strand-specific RNA knockdown characterized FLAIL as a trans-acting RNA molecule. FLAIL directly binds to differentially expressed target genes that control flowering via RNA-DNA interactions through conserved sequence motifs. FLAIL interacts with protein and RNA components of the spliceosome to affect target mRNA expression through co-transcriptional alternative splicing (AS) and linked chromatin regulation. In the absence of FLAIL, splicing defects at the direct FLAIL target flowering gene LACCASE 8 (LAC8) correlated with reduced mRNA expression. Double mutant analyses support a model where FLAIL-mediated splicing of LAC8 promotes its mRNA expression and represses flowering. Our study suggests lncRNAs as accessory components of the spliceosome that regulate AS and gene expression to impact organismal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Jin
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Maxim Ivanov
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | | | - Sebastian Marquardt
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Copenhagen Plant Science Centre, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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15
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Sun G, Yu H, Wang P, Lopez-Guerrero M, Mural RV, Mizero ON, Grzybowski M, Song B, van Dijk K, Schachtman DP, Zhang C, Schnable JC. A role for heritable transcriptomic variation in maize adaptation to temperate environments. Genome Biol 2023; 24:55. [PMID: 36964601 PMCID: PMC10037803 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02891-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Transcription bridges genetic information and phenotypes. Here, we evaluated how changes in transcriptional regulation enable maize (Zea mays), a crop originally domesticated in the tropics, to adapt to temperate environments. Result We generated 572 unique RNA-seq datasets from the roots of 340 maize genotypes. Genes involved in core processes such as cell division, chromosome organization and cytoskeleton organization showed lower heritability of gene expression, while genes involved in anti-oxidation activity exhibited higher expression heritability. An expression genome-wide association study (eGWAS) identified 19,602 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 11,444 genes. A GWAS for alternative splicing identified 49,897 splicing QTLs (sQTLs) for 7614 genes. Genes harboring both cis-eQTLs and cis-sQTLs in linkage disequilibrium were disproportionately likely to encode transcription factors or were annotated as responding to one or more stresses. Independent component analysis of gene expression data identified loci regulating co-expression modules involved in oxidation reduction, response to water deprivation, plastid biogenesis, protein biogenesis, and plant-pathogen interaction. Several genes involved in cell proliferation, flower development, DNA replication, and gene silencing showed lower gene expression variation explained by genetic factors between temperate and tropical maize lines. A GWAS of 27 previously published phenotypes identified several candidate genes overlapping with genomic intervals showing signatures of selection during adaptation to temperate environments. Conclusion Our results illustrate how maize transcriptional regulatory networks enable changes in transcriptional regulation to adapt to temperate regions. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-023-02891-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangchao Sun
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Huihui Yu
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Peng Wang
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Martha Lopez-Guerrero
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Ravi V. Mural
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Olivier N. Mizero
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Marcin Grzybowski
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Baoxing Song
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XInstitute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
| | - Karin van Dijk
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Daniel P. Schachtman
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
| | - James C. Schnable
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
- grid.24434.350000 0004 1937 0060Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
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16
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Alternative Splicing in the Regulatory Circuit of Plant Temperature Response. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043878. [PMID: 36835290 PMCID: PMC9962249 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
As sessile organisms, plants have evolved complex mechanisms to rapidly respond to ever-changing ambient temperatures. Temperature response in plants is modulated by a multilayer regulatory network, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulations. Alternative splicing (AS) is an essential post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism. Extensive studies have confirmed its key role in plant temperature response, from adjustment to diurnal and seasonal temperature changes to response to extreme temperatures, which has been well documented by previous reviews. As a key node in the temperature response regulatory network, AS can be modulated by various upstream regulations, such as chromatin modification, transcription rate, RNA binding proteins, RNA structure and RNA modifications. Meanwhile, a number of downstream mechanisms are affected by AS, such as nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway, translation efficiency and production of different protein variants. In this review, we focus on the links between splicing regulation and other mechanisms in plant temperature response. Recent advances regarding how AS is regulated and the following consequences in gene functional modulation in plant temperature response will be discussed. Substantial evidence suggests that a multilayer regulatory network integrating AS in plant temperature response has been unveiled.
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17
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Zhang H, Zheng Y, Zhang G, Miao Y, Liu C, Huang L. A Bibliometric Study for Plant RNA Editing Research: Trends and Future Challenges. Mol Biotechnol 2022:10.1007/s12033-022-00641-7. [PMID: 36562872 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00641-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RNA editing is a post-transcriptional process that introduces changes in RNA sequences encoded by nuclear, mitochondrial, or plastid genomes. To understand the research progress of plant RNA editing, we comprehensively analyze the articles on plant RNA editing from 2001 to 2022 through bibliometric methods. Nucleic Acids Research, Plant Journal and Plant cell are the journals that deserve attention with their high production, total local citation scores (TLCS), and h-indexes. The USA, China, and Germany are the top three countries with highly productive publications. Ulm University, Cornell University, and Chinese Acad Sci are excellent cooperative institutions with a high level of influence in the field, and KNOOP V and TAKENAKA M are good partnership. Plant RNA editing researches concentrate on the subject categories of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Plant Sciences, Genetics & Heredity, etc. Plant mitochondria, genome editing and messenger-RNA may be the research hotspots in the future. The main plant RNA editing research tools are JACUSA, SPRINT, and REDO, and the main databases are REDIdb, PED, and dbRES. At present, the research streams are (1) RNA editing sites; (2) Pentapeptide repeat protein (PPR) involved in RNA editing; (3) RNA editing factors. Overall, this article summarizes the research overview of plant RNA editing until 2022 and provides theoretical implications for its possible future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330000, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
- Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330000, Jiangxi, China
| | - Guoshuai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yujing Miao
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Linfang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Resources Conservation, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193, China.
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18
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Zhang Q, Zhao F, Wu Z, Zhu D. A simple and robust method for isolating and analyzing chromatin-bound RNAs in Arabidopsis. PLANT METHODS 2022; 18:135. [PMID: 36510301 PMCID: PMC9743689 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-022-00967-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromatin-bound RNAs are the primary product of transcription that undergo on-chromatin processing such as capping, splicing, and polyadenylation. These processing steps then determine the fate of RNAs. Albeit its vital importance, a simple and robust method for isolating different fractions of chromatin-bound RNAs is missing in plants. RESULT Here, we describe our updated method and the associated step-by-step protocol for chromatin-bound RNAs isolation in A. thaliana. The chromatin-bound RNAs isolation is based on the 1 M UREA wash that removes the majority of non-chromatin-associated proteins from the nucleus, as previously developed in mammalian cells. On-demand, the isolated chromatin-bound RNAs can be either used directly for gene-specific analysis or subject to further rRNA removal and also the optional polyadenylated RNA removal, followed by high-throughput sequencing. Detailed protocols for these procedures are also provided. Comparison of sequencing results of chromatin-bound RNAs with and without polyadenylated RNA removal revealed that a small fraction of CB-RNAs is polyadenylated but not yet fully spliced, representing RNA-processing intermediate on-chromatin. CONCLUSION This optimized chromatin-bound RNAs purification method is simple and robust and can be used to study transcription and its-coupled RNA processing in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Zhang
- Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Research, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Fengli Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Research, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhe Wu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Research, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Danling Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Research, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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19
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Qin Y, Long Y, Zhai J. Genome-wide characterization of nascent RNA processing in plants. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 69:102294. [PMID: 36063636 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Following transcription initiation, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) elongates through the genic region and terminates after the polyadenylation signal. This process is accompanied by splicing, 3' cleavage, and polyadenylation, to eventually form a mature mRNA. Recent advances in short-read and long-read high-throughput sequencing methods have shed light on the global landscape of these co-transcriptional events at nucleotide resolution. In this mini review, we summarize recent developments in genome-wide approaches that broadened our understanding of nascent RNA processing in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Qin
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Yanping Long
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Jixian Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
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20
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Kufel J, Diachenko N, Golisz A. Alternative splicing as a key player in the fine-tuning of the immunity response in Arabidopsis. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2022; 23:1226-1238. [PMID: 35567423 PMCID: PMC9276941 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Plants, like animals, are constantly exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses, which often inhibit plant growth and development, and cause tissue damage, disease, and even plant death. Efficient and timely response to stress requires appropriate co- and posttranscriptional reprogramming of gene expression. Alternative pre-mRNA splicing provides an important layer of this regulation by controlling the level of factors involved in stress response and generating additional protein isoforms with specific features. Recent high-throughput studies have revealed that several defence genes undergo alternative splicing that is often affected by pathogen infection. Despite extensive work, the exact mechanisms underlying these relationships are still unclear, but the contribution of alternative protein isoforms to the defence response and the role of regulatory factors, including components of the splicing machinery, have been established. Modulation of gene expression in response to stress includes alternative splicing, chromatin remodelling, histone modifications, and nucleosome occupancy. How these processes affect plant immunity is mostly unknown, but these facets open new regulatory possibilities. Here we provide an overview of the current state of knowledge and recent findings regarding the growing importance of alternative splicing in plant response to biotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kufel
- Institute of Genetics and BiotechnologyFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Nataliia Diachenko
- Institute of Genetics and BiotechnologyFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Anna Golisz
- Institute of Genetics and BiotechnologyFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
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21
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Liu L, Wu D, Gu Y, Liu F, Liu B, Mao F, Yi X, Tang T, Zhao X. Comprehensive profiling of alternative splicing landscape during secondary dormancy in oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.). MOLECULAR BREEDING : NEW STRATEGIES IN PLANT IMPROVEMENT 2022; 42:44. [PMID: 37313517 PMCID: PMC10248609 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-022-01314-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is a general mechanism that regulates gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, which increases the transcriptomic diversity. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), one of the main oil crops worldwide, is prone to secondary dormancy. However, how alternative splicing landscape of oilseed rape seed changes in response to secondary dormancy is unknown. Here, we analyzed twelve RNA-seq libraries from varieties "Huaiyou-SSD-V1" and "Huaiyou-WSD-H2" which exhibited high (> 95%) and low (< 5%) secondary dormancy potential, respectively, and demonstrated that alternative splicing changes led to a significant increase with the diversity of the transcripts in response to secondary dormancy induction via polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) treatment. Among the four basic alternative splicing types, intron retention dominates, and exon skipping shows the rarest frequency. A total of 8% of expressed genes had two or more transcripts after PEG treatment. Further analysis revealed that global isoform expression percentage variations in alternative splicing in differently expressed genes (DEGs) is more than three times as much as those in non-DEGs, suggesting alternative splicing change is associated with the transcriptional activity change in response to secondary dormancy induction. Eventually, 342 differently spliced genes (DSGs) associated with secondary dormancy were identified, five of which were validated by RT-PCR. The number of the overlapped genes between DSGs and DEGs associated with secondary dormancy was much less than that of either DSGs or DEGs, suggesting that DSGs and DEGs may independently regulates secondary dormancy. Functional annotation analysis of DSGs revealed that spliceosome components are overrepresented among the DSGs, including small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs), serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins, and other splicing factors. Thus, it is proposed that the spliceosome components could be exploited to reduce secondary dormancy potential in oilseed rape. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-022-01314-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
| | - Depeng Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
| | - Yujuan Gu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
- College of Marine Resources and Environment, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinghuangdao, Hebei 066600 China
| | - Fuxia Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
| | - Bin Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
| | - Feng Mao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
| | - Xin Yi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
| | - Tang Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
| | - Xiangxiang Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Eco-Agriculture Biotechnology Around Hongze Lake, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture and Environment Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an, 223300 China
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22
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Zhang Y, Fan S, Hua C, Teo ZWN, Kiang JX, Shen L, Yu H. Phase separation of HRLP regulates flowering time in Arabidopsis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn5488. [PMID: 35731874 PMCID: PMC9217094 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn5488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
RNA binding proteins mediate posttranscriptional RNA metabolism and play regulatory roles in many developmental processes in eukaryotes. Despite their known effects on the floral transition from vegetative to reproductive growth in plants, the underlying mechanisms remain largely obscure. Here, we show that a hitherto unknown RNA binding protein, hnRNP R-LIKE PROTEIN (HRLP), inhibits cotranscriptional splicing of a key floral repressor gene FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). This, in turn, facilitates R-loop formation near FLC intron I to repress its transcription, thereby promoting the floral transition in Arabidopsis thaliana. HRLP, together with the splicing factor ARGININE/SERINE-RICH 45, forms phase-separated nuclear condensates with liquid-like properties, which is essential for HRLP function in regulating FLC splicing, R-loop formation, and RNA Polymerase II recruitment. Our findings reveal that inhibition of cotranscriptional splicing of FLC by nuclear HRLP condensates constitutes the molecular basis for down-regulation of FLC transcript levels to ensure the reproductive success of Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Sheng Fan
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Changmei Hua
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhi Wei Norman Teo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Jian Xuan Kiang
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
| | - Lisha Shen
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (H.Y.)
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604, Singapore
- Corresponding author. (L.S.); (H.Y.)
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23
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Rosenkranz RRE, Ullrich S, Löchli K, Simm S, Fragkostefanakis S. Relevance and Regulation of Alternative Splicing in Plant Heat Stress Response: Current Understanding and Future Directions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:911277. [PMID: 35812973 PMCID: PMC9260394 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.911277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a major mechanism for gene expression in eukaryotes, increasing proteome diversity but also regulating transcriptome abundance. High temperatures have a strong impact on the splicing profile of many genes and therefore AS is considered as an integral part of heat stress response. While many studies have established a detailed description of the diversity of the RNAome under heat stress in different plant species and stress regimes, little is known on the underlying mechanisms that control this temperature-sensitive process. AS is mainly regulated by the activity of splicing regulators. Changes in the abundance of these proteins through transcription and AS, post-translational modifications and interactions with exonic and intronic cis-elements and core elements of the spliceosomes modulate the outcome of pre-mRNA splicing. As a major part of pre-mRNAs are spliced co-transcriptionally, the chromatin environment along with the RNA polymerase II elongation play a major role in the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing under heat stress conditions. Despite its importance, our understanding on the regulation of heat stress sensitive AS in plants is scarce. In this review, we summarize the current status of knowledge on the regulation of AS in plants under heat stress conditions. We discuss possible implications of different pathways based on results from non-plant systems to provide a perspective for researchers who aim to elucidate the molecular basis of AS under high temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Ullrich
- Molecular Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Karin Löchli
- Molecular Cell Biology of Plants, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stefan Simm
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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24
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Co-transcriptional splicing efficiency is a gene-specific feature that can be regulated by TGFβ. Commun Biol 2022; 5:277. [PMID: 35347226 PMCID: PMC8960766 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03224-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential splicing efficiency of specific introns is a mechanism that dramatically increases protein diversity, based on selection of alternative exons for the final mature mRNA. However, it is unclear whether splicing efficiency of introns within the same gene is coordinated and eventually regulated as a mechanism to control mature mRNA levels. Based on nascent chromatin-associated RNA-sequencing data, we now find that co-transcriptional splicing (CTS) efficiency tends to be similar between the different introns of a gene. We establish that two well-differentiated strategies for CTS efficiency exist, at the extremes of a gradient: short genes that produce high levels of pre-mRNA undergo inefficient splicing, while long genes with relatively low levels of pre-mRNA have an efficient splicing. Notably, we observe that genes with efficient CTS display a higher level of mature mRNA relative to their pre-mRNA levels. Further, we show that the TGFβ signal transduction pathway regulates the general CTS efficiency, causing changes in mature mRNA levels. Taken together, our data indicate that CTS efficiency is a gene-specific characteristic that can be regulated to control gene expression. Co-transcriptional splicing efficiency is a gene-specific characteristic that can be regulated by TGFβ to modulate gene expression.
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25
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Arabidopsis RBV is a conserved WD40 repeat protein that promotes microRNA biogenesis and ARGONAUTE1 loading. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1217. [PMID: 35260568 PMCID: PMC8904849 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28872-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in gene expression regulation through RNA cleavage or translation repression. Here, we report the identification of an evolutionarily conserved WD40 domain protein as a player in miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. A mutation in the REDUCTION IN BLEACHED VEIN AREA (RBV) gene encoding a WD40 domain protein led to the suppression of leaf bleaching caused by an artificial miRNA; the mutation also led to a global reduction in the accumulation of endogenous miRNAs. The nuclear protein RBV promotes the transcription of MIR genes into pri-miRNAs by enhancing the occupancy of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) at MIR gene promoters. RBV also promotes the loading of miRNAs into AGO1. In addition, RNA-seq revealed a global splicing defect in the mutant. Thus, this evolutionarily conserved, nuclear WD40 domain protein acts in miRNA biogenesis and RNA splicing. MicroRNAs regulate gene expression through RNA cleavage or translation repression. Here the authors show that RBV, an evolutionarily conserved WD40 domain protein, acts to promote MIR transcription, pri-miRNA processing and miRNA loading into AGO1.
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26
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Pervasive misannotation of microexons that are evolutionarily conserved and crucial for gene function in plants. Nat Commun 2022; 13:820. [PMID: 35145097 PMCID: PMC8831610 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28449-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
It is challenging to identify the smallest microexons (≤15-nt) due to their small size. Consequently, these microexons are often misannotated or missed entirely during genome annotation. Here, we develop a pipeline to accurately identify 2,398 small microexons in 10 diverse plant species using 990 RNA-seq datasets, and most of them have not been annotated in the reference genomes. Analysis reveals that microexons tend to have increased detained flanking introns that require post-transcriptional splicing after polyadenylation. Examination of 45 conserved microexon clusters demonstrates that microexons and associated gene structures can be traced back to the origin of land plants. Based on these clusters, we develop an algorithm to genome-wide model coding microexons in 132 plants and find that microexons provide a strong phylogenetic signal for plant organismal relationships. Microexon modeling reveals diverse evolutionary trajectories, involving microexon gain and loss and alternative splicing. Our work provides a comprehensive view of microexons in plants. The small size (≤15-nt) of micorexons poses difficulties for genome annotation and identification using standard RNA sequence mapping approaches. Here, the authors develop computational pipelines to discover and predict microexons in plants and reveal diverse evolutionary trajectories via genomewide microexon modeling.
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27
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Lohani N, Singh MB, Bhalla PL. Biological Parts for Engineering Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9819314. [PMID: 37850130 PMCID: PMC10521667 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9819314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
It is vital to ramp up crop production dramatically by 2050 due to the increasing global population and demand for food. However, with the climate change projections showing that droughts and heatwaves becoming common in much of the globe, there is a severe threat of a sharp decline in crop yields. Thus, developing crop varieties with inbuilt genetic tolerance to environmental stresses is urgently needed. Selective breeding based on genetic diversity is not keeping up with the growing demand for food and feed. However, the emergence of contemporary plant genetic engineering, genome-editing, and synthetic biology offer precise tools for developing crops that can sustain productivity under stress conditions. Here, we summarize the systems biology-level understanding of regulatory pathways involved in perception, signalling, and protective processes activated in response to unfavourable environmental conditions. The potential role of noncoding RNAs in the regulation of abiotic stress responses has also been highlighted. Further, examples of imparting abiotic stress tolerance by genetic engineering are discussed. Additionally, we provide perspectives on the rational design of abiotic stress tolerance through synthetic biology and list various bioparts that can be used to design synthetic gene circuits whose stress-protective functions can be switched on/off in response to environmental cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeta Lohani
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Mohan B. Singh
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Prem L. Bhalla
- Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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28
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Alternative splicing in plant abiotic stress responses. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:2117-2126. [PMID: 32869832 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modifications of the cellular proteome pool upon stress allow plants to tolerate environmental changes. Alternative splicing is the most significant mechanism responsible for the production of multiple protein isoforms from a single gene. The spliceosome, a large ribonucleoprotein complex, together with several associated proteins, controls this pre-mRNA processing, adding an additional level of regulation to gene expression. Deep sequencing of transcriptomes revealed that this co- or post-transcriptional mechanism is highly induced by abiotic stress, and concerns vast numbers of stress-related genes. Confirming the importance of splicing in plant stress adaptation, key players of stress signaling have been shown to encode alternative transcripts, whereas mutants lacking splicing factors or associated components show a modified sensitivity and defective responses to abiotic stress. Here, we examine recent literature on alternative splicing and splicing alterations in response to environmental stresses, focusing on its role in stress adaptation and analyzing the future perspectives and directions for research.
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29
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Decoding co-/post-transcriptional complexities of plant transcriptomes and epitranscriptome using next-generation sequencing technologies. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:2399-2414. [PMID: 33196096 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies - Illumina RNA-seq, Pacific Biosciences isoform sequencing (PacBio Iso-seq), and Oxford Nanopore direct RNA sequencing (DRS) - have revealed the complexity of plant transcriptomes and their regulation at the co-/post-transcriptional level. Global analysis of mature mRNAs, transcripts from nuclear run-on assays, and nascent chromatin-bound mRNAs using short as well as full-length and single-molecule DRS reads have uncovered potential roles of different forms of RNA polymerase II during the transcription process, and the extent of co-transcriptional pre-mRNA splicing and polyadenylation. These tools have also allowed mapping of transcriptome-wide start sites in cap-containing RNAs, poly(A) site choice, poly(A) tail length, and RNA base modifications. The emerging theme from recent studies is that reprogramming of gene expression in response to developmental cues and stresses at the co-/post-transcriptional level likely plays a crucial role in eliciting appropriate responses for optimal growth and plant survival under adverse conditions. Although the mechanisms by which developmental cues and different stresses regulate co-/post-transcriptional splicing are largely unknown, a few recent studies indicate that the external cues target spliceosomal and splicing regulatory proteins to modulate alternative splicing. In this review, we provide an overview of recent discoveries on the dynamics and complexities of plant transcriptomes, mechanistic insights into splicing regulation, and discuss critical gaps in co-/post-transcriptional research that need to be addressed using diverse genomic and biochemical approaches.
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30
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Li Z, Tang J, Bassham DC, Howell SH. Daily temperature cycles promote alternative splicing of RNAs encoding SR45a, a splicing regulator in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 186:1318-1335. [PMID: 33705553 PMCID: PMC8195531 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Elevated temperatures enhance alternative RNA splicing in maize (Zea mays) with the potential to expand the repertoire of plant responses to heat stress. Alternative RNA splicing generates multiple RNA isoforms for many maize genes, and here we observed changes in the pattern of RNA isoforms with temperature changes. Increases in maximum daily temperature elevated the frequency of the major modes of alternative splices (AS), in particular retained introns and skipped exons. The genes most frequently targeted by increased AS with temperature encode factors involved in RNA processing and plant development. Genes encoding regulators of alternative RNA splicing were themselves among the principal AS targets in maize. Under controlled environmental conditions, daily changes in temperature comparable to field conditions altered the abundance of different RNA isoforms, including the RNAs encoding the splicing regulator SR45a, a member of the SR45 gene family. We established an "in protoplast" RNA splicing assay to show that during the afternoon on simulated hot summer days, SR45a RNA isoforms were produced with the potential to encode proteins efficient in splicing model substrates. With the RNA splicing assay, we also defined the exonic splicing enhancers that the splicing-efficient SR45a forms utilize to aid in the splicing of model substrates. Hence, with rising temperatures on hot summer days, SR45a RNA isoforms in maize are produced with the capability to encode proteins with greater RNA splicing potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxia Li
- Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Jie Tang
- Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Diane C Bassham
- Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Stephen H. Howell
- Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
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31
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Ganie SA, Reddy ASN. Stress-Induced Changes in Alternative Splicing Landscape in Rice: Functional Significance of Splice Isoforms in Stress Tolerance. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:309. [PMID: 33917813 PMCID: PMC8068108 DOI: 10.3390/biology10040309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Improvements in yield and quality of rice are crucial for global food security. However, global rice production is substantially hindered by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Making further improvements in rice yield is a major challenge to the rice research community, which can be accomplished through developing abiotic stress-resilient rice varieties and engineering durable agrochemical-independent pathogen resistance in high-yielding elite rice varieties. This, in turn, needs increased understanding of the mechanisms by which stresses affect rice growth and development. Alternative splicing (AS), a post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanism, allows rapid changes in the transcriptome and can generate novel regulatory mechanisms to confer plasticity to plant growth and development. Mounting evidence indicates that AS has a prominent role in regulating rice growth and development under stress conditions. Several regulatory and structural genes and splicing factors of rice undergo different types of stress-induced AS events, and the functional significance of some of them in stress tolerance has been defined. Both rice and its pathogens use this complex regulatory mechanism to devise strategies against each other. This review covers the current understanding and evidence for the involvement of AS in biotic and abiotic stress-responsive genes, and its relevance to rice growth and development. Furthermore, we discuss implications of AS for the virulence of different rice pathogens and highlight the areas of further research and potential future avenues to develop climate-smart and disease-resistant rice varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anireddy S. N. Reddy
- Department of Biology and Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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32
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Li Y, Guo Q, Liu P, Huang J, Zhang S, Yang G, Wu C, Zheng C, Yan K. Dual roles of the serine/arginine-rich splicing factor SR45a in promoting and interacting with nuclear cap-binding complex to modulate the salt-stress response in Arabidopsis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:641-655. [PMID: 33421141 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is emerging as a critical co-transcriptional regulation for plants in response to environmental stresses. Although multiple splicing factors have been linked to the salt-sensitive signaling network, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. We discovered that a conserved serine/arginine-rich (SR)-like protein, SR45a, as a component of the spliceosome, was involved in post-transcriptional regulation of salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, SR45a was required for the AS and messenger RNA (mRNA) maturation of several salt-tolerance genes. Two alternatively spliced variants of SR45a were induced by salt stress, full-length SR45a-1a and the truncated isoform SR45a-1b, respectively. Lines with overexpression of SR45a-1a and SR45a-1b exhibited hypersensitive to salt stress. Our data indicated that SR45a directly interacted with the cap-binding complex (CBC) subunit cap-binding protein 20 (CBP20) which mediated salt-stress responses. Instead of binding to other spliceosome components, SR45a-1b promoted the association of SR45a-1a with CBP20, therefore mediating salt-stress signal transduction pathways. Additionally, the mutations in SR45a and CBP20 led to different salt-stress phenotypes. Together, these results provide the evidence that SR45a-CBP20 acts as a regulatory complex to regulate the plant response to salt stress, through a regulatory mechanism to fine-tune the splicing factors, especially in stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Qianhuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - Jinguang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Shizhong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Guodong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Changai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Chengchao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Kang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China
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33
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Jabre I, Chaudhary S, Guo W, Kalyna M, Reddy ASN, Chen W, Zhang R, Wilson C, Syed NH. Differential nucleosome occupancy modulates alternative splicing in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1937-1945. [PMID: 33135169 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a major gene regulatory mechanism in plants. Recent evidence supports co-transcriptional splicing in plants, hence the chromatin state can impact AS. However, how dynamic changes in the chromatin state such as nucleosome occupancy influence the cold-induced AS remains poorly understood. Here, we generated transcriptome (RNA-Seq) and nucleosome positioning (MNase-Seq) data for Arabidopsis thaliana to understand how nucleosome positioning modulates cold-induced AS. Our results show that characteristic nucleosome occupancy levels are strongly associated with the type and abundance of various AS events under normal and cold temperature conditions in Arabidopsis. Intriguingly, exitrons, alternatively spliced internal regions of protein-coding exons, exhibit distinctive nucleosome positioning pattern compared to other alternatively spliced regions. Likewise, nucleosome patterns differ between exitrons and retained introns, pointing to their distinct regulation. Collectively, our data show that characteristic changes in nucleosome positioning modulate AS in plants in response to cold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibtissam Jabre
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, CT1 1QU, UK
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Saurabh Chaudhary
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, CT1 1QU, UK
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Wenbin Guo
- Computational Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Maria Kalyna
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences - BOKU, Muthgasse 18, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anireddy S N Reddy
- Department of Biology and Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1878, USA
| | - Weizhong Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853-2703, USA
| | - Runxuan Zhang
- Computational Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Cornelia Wilson
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, CT1 1QU, UK
| | - Naeem H Syed
- School of Human and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, CT1 1QU, UK
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Zhu J, Zhao H, Kong F, Liu B, Liu M, Dong Z. Cotranscriptional and Posttranscriptional Features of the Transcriptome in Soybean Shoot Apex and Leaf. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:649634. [PMID: 33897737 PMCID: PMC8063115 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.649634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Transcription is the first step of central dogma, in which the genetic information stored in DNA is copied into RNA. In addition to mature RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), high-throughput nascent RNA assays have been established and applied to provide detailed transcriptional information. Here, we present the profiling of nascent RNA from trifoliate leaves and shoot apices of soybean. In combination with nascent RNA (chromatin-bound RNA, CB RNA) and RNA-seq, we found that introns were largely spliced cotranscriptionally. Although alternative splicing (AS) was mainly determined at nascent RNA biogenesis, differential AS between the leaf and shoot apex at the mature RNA level did not correlate well with cotranscriptional differential AS. Overall, RNA abundance was moderately correlated between nascent RNA and mature RNA within each tissue, but the fold changes between the leaf and shoot apex were highly correlated. Thousands of novel transcripts (mainly non-coding RNA) were detected by CB RNA-seq, including the overlap of natural antisense RNA with two important genes controlling soybean reproductive development, FT2a and Dt1. Taken together, we demonstrated the adoption of CB RNA-seq in soybean, which may shed light on gene expression regulation of important agronomic traits in leguminous crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiafu Zhu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Han Zhao
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Agrobiology, Institute of Crop Germplasm and Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Fanjiang Kong
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baohui Liu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Liu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Min Liu,
| | - Zhicheng Dong
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
- Zhicheng Dong,
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35
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Processing of coding and non-coding RNAs in plant development and environmental responses. Essays Biochem 2020; 64:931-945. [DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Precursor RNAs undergo extensive processing to become mature RNAs. RNA transcripts are subjected to 5′ capping, 3′-end processing, splicing, and modification; they also form dynamic secondary structures during co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional processing. Like coding RNAs, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) undergo extensive processing. For example, secondary small interfering RNA (siRNA) transcripts undergo RNA processing, followed by further cleavage to become mature siRNAs. Transcriptome studies have revealed roles for co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional RNA processing in the regulation of gene expression and the coordination of plant development and plant–environment interactions. In this review, we present the latest progress on RNA processing in gene expression and discuss phased siRNAs (phasiRNAs), a kind of germ cell-specific secondary small RNA (sRNA), focusing on their functions in plant development and environmental responses.
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Jia J, Long Y, Zhang H, Li Z, Liu Z, Zhao Y, Lu D, Jin X, Deng X, Xia R, Cao X, Zhai J. Post-transcriptional splicing of nascent RNA contributes to widespread intron retention in plants. NATURE PLANTS 2020; 6:780-788. [PMID: 32541953 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-0688-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase-II (Pol-II) and introns are removed by the spliceosome largely cotranscriptionally1-3; analysis using long-read sequencing revealed that splicing occurs immediately after Pol-II passes introns in yeast4,5. Here, we developed a Nanopore-based method to profile chromatin-bound RNA that enables the simultaneous detection of splicing status, Pol-II position and polyadenylation at the genome-wide scale in Arabidopsis. We found that more than half of the introns remain unspliced after Pol-II transcribes 1 kb past the 3' splice site, which is much slower than the rate of splicing reported in yeast4,5. Many of the full-length chromatin-bound RNA molecules are polyadenylated, yet still contain unspliced introns at specific positions. These introns are nearly absent in the cytoplasm and are resistant to nonsense-mediated decay, suggesting that they are post-transcriptionally spliced before the transcripts are released into the cytoplasm; we therefore termed these introns post-transcriptionally spliced introns (pts introns). Analysis of around 6,500 public RNA-sequencing libraries found that the splicing of pts introns requires the function of splicing-related proteins such as PRMT5 and SKIP, and is also influenced by various environmental signals. The majority of the intron retention events in Arabidopsis are at pts introns, suggesting that chromatin-tethered post-transcriptional splicing is a major contributor to the widespread intron retention that is observed in plants, and could be a mechanism to produce fully spliced functional mRNAs for rapid response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbu Jia
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanping Long
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Institute for Advanced Studies and College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhuowen Li
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhijian Liu
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dongdong Lu
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xianhao Jin
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xian Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Xia
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jixian Zhai
- Institute of Plant and Food Science, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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Romanowski A, Schlaen RG, Perez-Santangelo S, Mancini E, Yanovsky MJ. Global transcriptome analysis reveals circadian control of splicing events in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 103:889-902. [PMID: 32314836 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The circadian clock of Arabidopsis thaliana controls many physiological and molecular processes, allowing plants to anticipate daily changes in their environment. However, developing a detailed understanding of how oscillations in mRNA levels are connected to oscillations in co/post-transcriptional processes, such as splicing, has remained a challenge. Here we applied a combined approach using deep transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics tools to identify novel circadian-regulated genes and splicing events. Using a stringent approach, we identified 300 intron retention, eight exon skipping, 79 alternative 3' splice site usage, 48 alternative 5' splice site usage, and 350 multiple (more than one event type) annotated events under circadian regulation. We also found seven and 721 novel alternative exonic and intronic events. Depletion of the circadian-regulated splicing factor AtSPF30 homologue resulted in the disruption of a subset of clock-controlled splicing events. Altogether, our global circadian RNA-seq coupled with an in silico, event-centred, splicing analysis tool offers a new approach for studying the interplay between the circadian clock and the splicing machinery at a global scale. The identification of many circadian-regulated splicing events broadens our current understanding of the level of control that the circadian clock has over this co/post-transcriptional regulatory layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Romanowski
- Comparative Genomics of Plant Development, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Buenos Aires (IIBBA) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rubén G Schlaen
- Comparative Genomics of Plant Development, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Buenos Aires (IIBBA) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Soledad Perez-Santangelo
- Comparative Genomics of Plant Development, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Buenos Aires (IIBBA) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Estefanía Mancini
- Comparative Genomics of Plant Development, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Buenos Aires (IIBBA) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo J Yanovsky
- Comparative Genomics of Plant Development, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas Buenos Aires (IIBBA) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1405BWE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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