title: Integration of developmental and environmental signals via a polyadenylation factor in Arabidopsis.
abstract: The ability to integrate environmental and developmental signals with physiological responses is critical for plant survival. How this integration is done, particularly through posttranscriptional control of gene expression, is poorly understood. Previously, it was found that the 30 kD subunit of Arabidopsis cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (AtCPSF30) is a calmodulin-regulated RNA-binding protein. Here we demonstrated that mutant plants (oxt6) deficient in AtCPSF30 possess a novel range of phenotypes--reduced fertility, reduced lateral root formation, and altered sensitivities to oxidative stress and a number of plant hormones (auxin, cytokinin, gibberellic acid, and ACC). While the wild-type AtCPSF30 (C30G) was able to restore normal growth and responses, a mutant AtCPSF30 protein incapable of interacting with calmodulin (C30GM) could only restore wild-type fertility and responses to oxidative stress and ACC. Thus, the interaction with calmodulin is important for part of AtCPSF30 functions in the plant. Global poly(A) site analysis showed that the C30G and C30GM proteins can restore wild-type poly(A) site choice to the oxt6 mutant. Genes associated with hormone metabolism and auxin responses are also affected by the oxt6 mutation. Moreover, 19 genes that are linked with calmodulin-dependent CPSF30 functions, were identified through genome-wide expression analysis. These data, in conjunction with previous results from the analysis of the oxt6 mutant, indicate that the polyadenylation factor AtCPSF30 is a regulatory hub where different signaling cues are transduced, presumably via differential mRNA 3' end formation or alternative polyadenylation, into specified phenotypic outcomes. Our results suggest a novel function of a polyadenylation factor in environmental and developmental signal integration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45045, United States of America.
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45045, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ruqiang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, United States of America.
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Merrill
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education on Costal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, United States of America.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Von Lanken
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, United States of America.
authors.forename: Arthur G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45045, United States of America; Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education on Costal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Rice Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350003, China.
authors.forename: Qingshun Q
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism; D039223:Cleavage And Polyadenylation Specificity Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051479:Plant Infertility; D011485:Protein Binding; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C521936:CPSF30 protein, Arabidopsis; D002147:Calmodulin; D039223:Cleavage And Polyadenylation Specificity Factor; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids