1. LEFKOTHEA Regulates Nuclear and Chloroplast mRNA Splicing in Plants.
- Author
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Daras G, Rigas S, Alatzas A, Samiotaki M, Chatzopoulos D, Tsitsekian D, Papadaki V, Templalexis D, Banilas G, Athanasiadou AM, Kostourou V, Panayotou G, and Hatzopoulos P
- Subjects
- Arabidopsis embryology, Arabidopsis ultrastructure, Arabidopsis Proteins genetics, Cell Nucleus ultrastructure, Chloroplasts ultrastructure, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Genes, Plant, Introns genetics, Meristem metabolism, Models, Biological, Mutation genetics, Phenotype, Protein Binding genetics, RNA Precursors genetics, RNA Precursors metabolism, RNA, Messenger genetics, RNA, Messenger metabolism, RNA-Binding Proteins genetics, Seeds metabolism, Seeds ultrastructure, Spliceosomes metabolism, Arabidopsis genetics, Arabidopsis Proteins metabolism, Cell Nucleus genetics, Chloroplasts genetics, RNA Splicing genetics, RNA-Binding Proteins metabolism
- Abstract
Eukaryotic organisms accomplish the removal of introns to produce mature mRNAs through splicing. Nuclear and organelle splicing mechanisms are distinctively executed by spliceosome and group II intron complex, respectively. Here, we show that LEFKOTHEA, a nuclear encoded RNA-binding protein, participates in chloroplast group II intron and nuclear pre-mRNA splicing. Transiently optimized LEFKOTHEA nuclear activity is fundamental for plant growth, whereas the loss of function abruptly arrests embryogenesis. Nucleocytoplasmic partitioning and chloroplast allocation are efficiently balanced via functional motifs in LEFKOTHEA polypeptide. In the context of nuclear-chloroplast coevolution, our results provide a strong paradigm of the convergence of RNA maturation mechanisms in the nucleus and chloroplasts to coordinately regulate gene expression and effectively control plant growth., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2019
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