A chloroplast retrograde signal regulates nuclear alternative splicing.
Light is a source of energy and also a regulator of plant physiological adaptations. We show here that light/dark conditions affect alternative splicing of a subset of Arabidopsis genes preferentially encoding proteins involved in RNA processing. The effect requires functional chloroplasts and is also observed in roots when the communication with the photosynthetic tissues is not interrupted, suggesting that a signaling molecule travels through the plant. Using photosynthetic electron transfer inhibitors with different mechanisms of action, we deduce that the reduced pool of plastoquinones initiates a chloroplast retrograde signaling that regulates nuclear alternative splicing and is necessary for proper plant responses to varying light conditions.
Laboratorio de Fisiología y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, IFIBYNE-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ezequiel
E
Petrillo
Micaela A
MA
Godoy Herz
Armin
A
Fuchs
Dominik
D
Reifer
John
J
Fuller
Marcelo J
MJ
Yanovsky
Craig
C
Simpson
John W S
JW
Brown
Andrea
A
Barta
Maria
M
Kalyna
Alberto R
AR
Kornblihtt
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D057906:Circadian Clocks; D003991:Dibromothymoquinone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004237:Diuron / Q000494:pharmacology; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D010971:Plastoquinone / Q000378:metabolism*; D020871:RNA Stability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D003991:Dibromothymoquinone; D004237:Diuron; D010971:Plastoquinone