title: An RRM-containing mei2-like MCT1 plays a negative role in the seed germination and seedling growth of Arabidopsis thaliana in the presence of ABA.
abstract: Despite an increasing understanding of the essential role of the Mei2 gene encoding an RNA-binding protein (RBP) in premeiotic DNA synthesis and meiosis in yeasts and animals, the functional roles of the mei2-like genes in plant growth and development are largely unknown. Contrary to other mei2-like RBPs that contain three RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs), the mei2 C-terminal RRM only (MCT) is unique in that it harbors only the last C-terminal RRM. Although MCTs have been implicated to play important roles in plants, their functional roles in stress responses as well as plant growth and development are still unknown. Here, we investigated the expression and functional role of MCT1 (At1g37140) in plant response to abscisic acid (ABA). Confocal analysis of MCT1-GFP-expressing plants revealed that MCT1 is localized to the nucleus. The transcript level of MCT1 was markedly increased upon ABA treatment. Analysis of MCT1-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants and artificial miRNA-mediated mct1 knockdown mutants demonstrated that MCT1 inhibited seed germination and cotyledon greening of Arabidopsis plants under ABA. The transcript levels of ABA signaling-related genes, such as ABI3, ABI4, and ABI5, were markedly increased in the MCT1-overexpressing transgenic plant. Collectively, these results suggest that ABA-upregulated MCT1 plays a negative role in Arabidopsis seed germination and seedling growth under ABA by modulating the expression of ABA signaling-related genes.
authors: Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology, College of Grassland and Environmental Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China.
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Gu
authors: Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
authors: Hyun Ju
authors: HJ
authors: Jung
authors: Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
authors: Kyung Jin
authors: KJ
authors: Kwak
authors: Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
authors: Sy Nguyen
authors: SN
authors: Dinh
authors: Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
authors: Yeon-Ok
authors: YO
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hskang@jnu.ac.kr.
authors: Hunseung
authors: H
authors: Kang
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D000071377:RNA Recognition Motif; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000040:Abscisic Acid
keywords: ABA; MCT1; RNA-binding protein; mei2-like gene