title: Removal of retained introns regulates translation in the rapidly developing gametophyte of Marsilea vestita.
abstract: The utilization of stored RNA is a driving force in rapid development. Here, we show that retention and subsequent removal of introns from pre-mRNAs regulate temporal patterns of translation during rapid and posttranscriptionally controlled spermatogenesis of the fern Marsilea vestita. Analysis of RNAseq-derived transcriptomes revealed a large subset of intron-retaining transcripts (IRTs) that encode proteins essential for gamete development. Genomic and IRT sequence comparisons show that other introns have been previously removed from the IRT pre-mRNAs. Fully spliced isoforms appear at distinct times during development in a spliceosome-dependent and transcription-independent manner. RNA interference knockdowns of 17/17 IRTs produced anomalies after the time points when those transcripts would normally be spliced. Intron retention is a functional mechanism for forestalling precocious translation of transcripts in the male gametophyte of M. vestita. These results have broad implications for plant gene regulation, where intron retention is widespread.
authors: University of Maryland at College Park, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
authors: Thomas C
authors: TC
authors: Boothby
authors: Richard S
authors: RS
authors: Zipper
authors: Corine M
authors: CM
authors: van der Weele
authors: Stephen M
authors: SM
authors: Wolniak
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics*; D043964:Marsileaceae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011058:Pollen / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger