RNA-Binding Protein-Mediated Alternative Splicing Regulates Abiotic Stress Responses in Plants.

The alternative splicing of pre-mRNA generates distinct mRNA variants from a pre-mRNA, thereby modulating a gene's function. The splicing of pre-mRNA depends on splice sites and regulatory elements in pre-mRNA, as well as the snRNA and proteins that recognize these sequences. Among these, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are the primary regulators of pre-mRNA splicing and play a critical role in the regulation of alternative splicing by recognizing the elements in pre-mRNA.

Modified Pseudo-Schiff Propidium Iodide for Staining the Shoot Apical Meristem in .

Visualization of cell structure with fluorescent dye for characterizing cell size, shape, and arrangement is a common method to study tissue morphology and morphogenesis. In order to observe shoot apical meristem (SAM) in by laser scanning confocal microscopy, we modified the pseudo-Schiff propidium iodide staining method by adding a series solution treatment to stain the deep cells. The advantage of this method is mainly reflected by the direct observation of the clearly bounded cell arrangement and the typical three-layer cells in SAM without the traditional tissue slicing.

Alternative Polyadenylation Is a Novel Strategy for the Regulation of Gene Expression in Response to Stresses in Plants.

Precursor message RNA requires processing to generate mature RNA. Cleavage and polyadenylation at the 3'-end in the maturation of mRNA is one of key processing steps in eukaryotes. The polyadenylation (poly(A)) tail of mRNA is an essential feature that is required to mediate its nuclear export, stability, translation efficiency, and subcellular localization.

Comprehensive Insight into Tapetum-Mediated Pollen Development in .

In flowering plants, pollen development is a key process that is essential for sexual reproduction and seed set. Molecular and genetic studies indicate that pollen development is coordinatedly regulated by both gametophytic and sporophytic factors. Tapetum, the somatic cell layer adjacent to the developing male meiocytes, plays an essential role during pollen development.

SKI-INTERACTING PROTEIN interacts with SHOOT MERISTEMLESS to regulate shoot apical meristem formation.

The shoot apical meristem (SAM), which is formed during embryogenesis, generates leaves, stems, and floral organs during the plant life cycle. SAM development is controlled by SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM), a conserved Class I KNOX transcription factor that interacts with another subclass homeodomain protein, BELL, to form a heterodimer, which regulates gene expression at the transcriptional level in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Meanwhile, SKI-INTERACTING PROTEIN (SKIP), a conserved protein in eukaryotes, works as both a splicing factor and as a transcriptional regulator in plants to control gene expression at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels by interacting with distinct partners.

The N-terminal acetyltransferase Naa50 regulates tapetum degradation and pollen development in Arabidopsis.

The N-terminal acetylation of proteins is a key modification in eukaryotes. However, knowledge of the biological function of N-terminal acetylation modification of proteins in plants is limited. Naa50 is the catalytic subunit of the N-terminal acetyltransferase NatE complex.

A chloride efflux transporter, BIG RICE GRAIN 1, is involved in mediating grain size and salt tolerance in rice.

Grain size is determined by the size and number of cells in the grain. The regulation of grain size is crucial for improving crop yield; however, the genes and molecular mechanisms that control grain size remain elusive. Here, we report that a member of the detoxification efflux carrier /Multidrug and Toxic Compound Extrusion (DTX/MATE) family transporters, BIG RICE GRAIN 1 (BIRG1), negatively influences grain size in rice (Oryza sativa L.

Recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 and applications for wheat functional genomics and breeding.

Common wheat ( L.) is one of the three major food crops in the world; thus, wheat breeding programs are important for world food security. Characterizing the genes that control important agronomic traits and finding new ways to alter them are necessary to improve wheat breeding.

Co-Transcriptional RNA Processing in Plants: Exploring from the Perspective of Polyadenylation.

Most protein-coding genes in eukaryotes possess at least two poly(A) sites, and alternative polyadenylation is considered a contributing factor to transcriptomic and proteomic diversity. Following transcription, a nascent RNA usually undergoes capping, splicing, cleavage, and polyadenylation, resulting in a mature messenger RNA (mRNA); however, increasing evidence suggests that transcription and RNA processing are coupled. Plants, which must produce rapid responses to environmental changes because of their limited mobility, exhibit such coupling.

A transceptor-channel complex couples nitrate sensing to calcium signaling in Arabidopsis.

Nitrate-induced Ca signaling is crucial for the primary nitrate response in plants. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the generation of the nitrate-specific calcium signature remains unknown. We report here that a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGC) protein, CNGC15, and the nitrate transceptor (NRT1.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of TaNP1 genes results in complete male sterility in bread wheat.

Male sterile genes and mutants are valuable resources in hybrid seed production for monoclinous crops. High genetic redundancy due to allohexaploidy makes it difficult to obtain the nuclear recessive male sterile mutants through spontaneous mutation or chemical or physical mutagenesis methods in wheat. The emerging effective genome editing tool, CRISPR/Cas9 system, makes it possible to achieve simultaneous mutagenesis in multiple homoeoalleles.

The N-Terminal Acetyltransferase Naa50 Regulates Arabidopsis Growth and Osmotic Stress Response.

N-terminal acetylation (Nt-acetylation) is one of the most common protein modifications in eukaryotes. The function of Naa50, the catalytic subunit of the evolutionarily conserved N-terminal acetyltransferase (Nat) E complex, has not been reported in Arabidopsis. In this study, we found that a loss of Naa50 resulted in a pleiotropic phenotype that included dwarfism and sterility, premature leaf senescence and a shortened primary root.

To Splice or to Transcribe: SKIP-Mediated Environmental Fitness and Development in Plants.

Gene expression in eukaryotes is controlled at multiple levels, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The transcriptional regulation of gene expression is complex and includes the regulation of the initiation and elongation phases of transcription. Meanwhile, the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression includes precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing, 5' capping, and 3' polyadenylation.

SKIP regulates environmental fitness and floral transition by forming two distinct complexes in Arabidopsis.

Ski-interacting protein (SKIP) is a bifunctional regulator of gene expression that works as a splicing factor as part of the spliceosome and as a transcriptional activator by interacting with EARLY FLOWERING 7 (ELF7). MOS4-Associated Complex 3A (MAC3A) and MAC3B interact physically and genetically with SKIP, mediate the alternative splicing of c. 50% of the expressed genes in the Arabidopsis genome, and are required for the splicing of a similar set of genes to that of SKIP.

An expression atlas of miRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate a variety of biological processes. MiRNA expression often exhibits spatial and temporal specificity. However, genome-wide miRNA expression patterns in different organs during development of Arabidopsis thaliana have not yet been systemically investigated.

Poaceae-specific encodes a phospholipid-binding protein for male fertility in bread wheat.

Male sterility is an essential trait in hybrid seed production for monoclinous crops, including rice and wheat. However, compared with the high percentage of hybrid rice planted in the world, little commercial hybrid wheat is planted globally as a result of the lack of a suitable system for male sterility. Therefore, understanding the molecular nature of male fertility in wheat is critical for commercially viable hybrid wheat.

A Method for Characterizing Embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.

Given the highly predictable nature of their development, Arabidopsis embryos have been used as a model for studies of morphogenesis in plants. However, early stage plant embryos are small and contain few cells, making them difficult to observe and analyze. A method is described here for characterizing pattern formation in plant embryos under a microscope using the model organism Arabidopsis.

Polycomb Group Proteins RING1A and RING1B Regulate the Vegetative Phase Transition in .

Polycomb group (PcG) protein-mediated gene silencing is a major regulatory mechanism in higher eukaryotes that affects gene expression at the transcriptional level. Here, we report that two conserved homologous PcG proteins, RING1A and RING1B (RING1A/B), are required for global H2A monoubiquitination (H2Aub) in . The mutation of RING1A/B increased the expression of members of the () gene family and caused an early vegetative phase transition.

Alternative Splicing in Plant Genes: A Means of Regulating the Environmental Fitness of Plants.

Gene expression can be regulated through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Transcription in eukaryotes produces pre-mRNA molecules, which are processed and spliced post-transcriptionally to create translatable mRNAs. More than one mRNA may be produced from a single pre-mRNA by alternative splicing (AS); thus, AS serves to diversify an organism's transcriptome and proteome.

NatA is required for suspensor development in Arabidopsis.

Suspensor development is essential for early embryogenesis. The filamentous suspensor plays vital roles in supporting the embryo proper and in exchanging nutrients and information between the embryo proper and embryo sac. In addition, at the globular stage, the uppermost suspensor cell differentiates into the hypophysis, which generates the progenitors of the quiescent center and columella stem cells.

Protein N-terminal acetylation is required for embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.

Early embryonic development generates precursors of all major cell types in Arabidopsis. Among these precursors, the hypophysis divides asymmetrically to form the progenitors of the quiescent center and columella stem cells. A great deal has been learnt about the mechanisms that control the asymmetric division of the hypophysis and embryogenesis at the transcriptional level; however, no evidence of regulation at the co- or post-translational level has been reported.

Arabidopsis cryptochrome 1 functions in nitrogen regulation of flowering.

The phenomenon of delayed flowering after the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has long been known in agriculture, but the detailed molecular basis for this phenomenon is largely unclear. Here we used a modified method of suppression-subtractive hybridization to identify two key factors involved in N-regulated flowering time control in Arabidopsis thaliana, namely ferredoxin-NADP(+)-oxidoreductase and the blue-light receptor cryptochrome 1 (CRY1). The expression of both genes is induced by low N levels, and their loss-of-function mutants are insensitive to altered N concentration.

The SNW Domain of SKIP Is Required for Its Integration into the Spliceosome and Its Interaction with the Paf1 Complex in Arabidopsis.

SKIP is a conserved protein from yeasts to plants and humans. In plant cells, SKIP is a bifunctional regulator that works in the nucleus as a splicing factor by integrating into the spliceosome and as a transcriptional activator by interacting with the Paf1 complex. In this study, we identified two nuclear localization signals in SKIP and confirmed that each is sufficient to target SKIP to the nucleus.