An Rtf2 Domain-Containing Protein Influences Pre-mRNA Splicing and Is Essential for Embryonic Development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Issue 2 (27th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sasaki, Taku; Kanno, Tatsuo; Liang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Pao-Yang; Liao, Wen-Wei; Lin, Wen-Dar; Matzke, Antonius J M; Matzke, Marjori
• Is Part Of: Genetics. Volume 200:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 523
• Page End: 535
• Publication Date: 2015-03-27
• Subjects: alternative splicing -- C2HC2 zinc finger -- intron retention -- Rtf2 domain -- ubiquitin ligase; Genetics -- Periodicals; 576.5
• DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.176438
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-6731

Abstract

Abstract: Alternative splicing is prevalent in plants, but little is known about its regulation in the context of developmental and signaling pathways. We describe here a new factor that influences pre-messengerRNA (mRNA) splicing and is essential for embryonic development in Arabidopsis thaliana . This factor was retrieved in a genetic screen that identified mutants impaired in expression of an alternatively spliced GFP reporter gene. In addition to the known spliceosomal component PRP8, the screen recovered Arabidopsis RTF2 (AtRTF2), a previously uncharacterized, evolutionarily conserved protein containing a replication termination factor 2 (Rtf2) domain. A homozygous null mutation in AtRTF2 is embryo lethal, indicating that AtRTF2 is an essential protein. Quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that impaired expression of GFP in atrtf2 and prp8 mutants is due to inefficient splicing of the GFP pre-mRNA. A genome-wide analysis using RNA sequencing indicated that 13–16% of total introns are retained to a significant degree in atrtf2 mutants. Considering these results and previous suggestions that Rtf2 represents an ubiquitin-related domain, we discuss the possible role of AtRTF2 in ubiquitin-based regulation of pre-mRNA splicing.