title: STA1, an Arabidopsis pre-mRNA processing factor 6 homolog, is a new player involved in miRNA biogenesis.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that have important regulatory roles in numerous developmental and metabolic processes in most eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis, DICER-LIKE1 (DCL1), HYPONASTIC LEAVES 1, SERRATE, HUA ENHANCER1 and HASTY are involved in processing of primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) to yield precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs) and eventually miRNAs. In addition to these components, mRNA cap-binding proteins, CBP80/ABA HYPERSENSITIVE1 and CBP20, also participate in miRNA biogenesis. Here, we show that STABILIZED1 (STA1), an Arabidopsis pre-mRNA processing factor 6 homolog, is also involved in the biogenesis of miRNAs. Similar to other miRNA biogenesis-defective mutants, sta1-1 accumulated significantly lower levels of mature miRNAs and concurrently higher levels of pri-miRNAs than wild type. The dramatic reductions of mature miRNAs were associated with the accumulation of their target gene transcripts and developmental defects. Furthermore, sta1-1 impaired splicing of intron containing pri-miRNAs and decreased transcript levels of DCL1. These results suggest that STA1 is involved in miRNA biogenesis directly by functioning in pri-miRNA splicing and indirectly by modulating the DCL1 transcript level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science, University of Copenhagen, Thovanlsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Chaabane
authors.forename: Renyi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Viswanathan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chinnusamy
authors.forename: Yerim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Joo-hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seo Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jian-Kang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Seong Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Byeong-ha
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018745:Genome, Plant; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012322:RNA Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C519660:STA1 protein, Arabidopsis; C402383:DCL1 protein, Arabidopsis; D043244:Ribonuclease III