title: A Japanese plum α-l-arabinofuranosidase/β-D-xylosidase gene is developmentally regulated by alternative splicing.
abstract: A full-length cDNA clone named PsARF/XYL was obtained from Prunus salicina Lindl., and determined to encode a putative α-l-arabinofuranosidase/β-d-xylosidase belonging to glycoside hydrolase (GH, EC 3.2.1.-) family 3. Two related PsARF/XYL cDNAs were amplified, one from a fully-spliced transcript (PsARF/XYLa) and another one from an intron-retained transcript (PsARF/XYLb). The protein deduced from PsARF/XYLb is a truncated peptide at C-terminus that conserves the active-site amino acid sequence. High levels of PsARF/XYLa and PsARF/XYLb transcripts are detectable in several plant tissues. PsARF/XYLb transcripts accumulate progressively during the phase of exponential fruit growth but they become barely noticeable during on-tree ripening, or after a 6-h exposure of preclimacteric full-size plums to ethylene. In contrast, PsARF/XYLa is expressed throughout fruit development, and transcript accumulation parallels the climacteric rise in ethylene production during ripening. PsARF/XYLa expression is strongly induced in preclimacteric full-size plums after a 6-h treatment with physiologically active concentrations of ethylene. These findings suggest that PsARF/XYL gene is post-transcriptionally regulated by alternative splicing during development and that ethylene may be involved in this regulation. The isolation of a partial cDNA clone, PsARF1, is also reported. It encodes a putative cell-wall α-l-arabinofuranosidase, and its transcription is rapidly inhibited by ethylene in mature green plums.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Avenida San Martín 4453, C1417DSE Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: disanto@agro.uba.ar.
authors.forename: M Carolina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Di Santo
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Avenida San Martín 4453, C1417DSE Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ilina
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Avenida San Martín 4453, C1417DSE Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Eduardo A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.affiliation: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriel O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Sozzi
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D027861:Prunus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D014995:Xylosidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D014995:Xylosidases; C026579:exo-1,4-beta-D-xylosidase; C019713:alpha-N-arabinofuranosidase
keywords: Ethylene; Intron retention; Prunus salicina; Ripening; Splicing event