title: Posttranscriptional coordination of splicing and miRNA biogenesis in plants.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that play a crucial role in basic physiological and morphological processes and in response to various stresses in eukaryotic organisms. However, the miRNA biogenesis, which is based on the action of complex protein machinery, varies between plants and animals, with the differences largely concerning the location of the process, the protein composition of the microprocessor, the mechanism of miRNA action on mRNA target, and the miRNA gene (MIR) structure. Roughly half of known Arabidopsis MIRs contain introns, and 29 miRNAs are encoded within the introns of host genes. Selection of alternative transcription start sites, alternative splice sites (SSs), and polyadenylation sites has been identified within miRNA primary transcripts (pri-miRNAs), and such variety is essential for the production and fine-tuning of miRNA levels. For example, the posttranscriptional processing of intron-containing pri-miRNAs involves the action of additional RNA metabolism machineries, such as the spliceosome and polyadenylation machinery, and to a large extent is based on direct communication between SERRATE (one of the core components of the plant microprocessor) and U1 snRNP auxiliary proteins. Moreover, the position of the miRNA stem-loop structure relative to the closest active 5'SS is essential for the miRNA production efficiency. Indeed, it is highly probable that this pre-miRNA location affects recruitment of the microprocessor to pri-miRNAs and therefore influences miRNA maturation and target mRNA regulation. Such complicated crosstalk between several machineries is important for a proper miRNA-connected response to biotic and abiotic stresses, ensuring plant survival in a changing environment. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1403. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1403 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stepien
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Knop
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dolata
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taube
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barciszewska-Pacak
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pacak
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jarmolowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Zofia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szweykowska-Kulinska
mesh_terms: D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D017381:Spliceosomes / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs