tRNA-Related Sequences Trigger Systemic mRNA Transport in Plants.
In plants, protein-coding mRNAs can move via the phloem vasculature to distant tissues, where they may act as non-cell-autonomous signals. Emerging work has identified many phloem-mobile mRNAs, but little is known regarding RNA motifs triggering mobility, the extent of mRNA transport, and the potential of transported mRNAs to be translated into functional proteins after transport. To address these aspects, we produced reporter transcripts harboring tRNA-like structures (TLSs) that were found to be enriched in the phloem stream and in mRNAs moving over chimeric graft junctions. Phenotypic and enzymatic assays on grafted plants indicated that mRNAs harboring a distinctive TLS can move from transgenic roots into wild-type leaves and from transgenic leaves into wild-type flowers or roots; these mRNAs can also be translated into proteins after transport. In addition, we provide evidence that dicistronic mRNA:tRNA transcripts are frequently produced in Arabidopsis thaliana and are enriched in the population of graft-mobile mRNAs. Our results suggest that tRNA-derived sequences with predicted stem-bulge-stem-loop structures are sufficient to mediate mRNA transport and seem to be necessary for the mobility of a large number of endogenous transcripts that can move through graft junctions.
Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Golm, Germany.
Wenna
W
Zhang
Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Golm, Germany.
Christoph J
0000-0002-1566-0971
CJ
Thieme
Department of Biochemistry, Centre of Molecular Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, A1030 Vienna, Austria.
Gregor
G
Kollwig
Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Golm, Germany.
Federico
F
Apelt
Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Golm, Germany.
Lei
0000-0001-7969-5981
L
Yang
Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Golm, Germany.
Nikola
0000-0003-0107-1989
N
Winter
Institut für Biochemie, CCM, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Nadine
0000-0002-8949-5788
N
Andresen
Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Golm, Germany.
Dirk
D
Walther
Max Planck Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Wissenschaftspark Golm, Golm, Germany Department of Biochemistry, Centre of Molecular Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, A1030 Vienna, Austria kragler@mpimp-golm.mpg.de.
Friedrich
0000-0001-5308-2976
F
Kragler
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D052585:Phloem / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D034443:RNA Transport / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018749:RNA, Plant; D012343:RNA, Transfer