title: Alternative Splicing in Plant Genes: A Means of Regulating the Environmental Fitness of Plants.
abstract: Gene expression can be regulated through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Transcription in eukaryotes produces pre-mRNA molecules, which are processed and spliced post-transcriptionally to create translatable mRNAs. More than one mRNA may be produced from a single pre-mRNA by alternative splicing (AS); thus, AS serves to diversify an organism's transcriptome and proteome. Previous studies of gene expression in plants have focused on the role of transcriptional regulation in response to environmental changes. However, recent data suggest that post-transcriptional regulation, especially AS, is necessary for plants to adapt to a changing environment. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of AS during plant development in response to environmental changes. We suggest that alternative gene splicing is a novel means of regulating the environmental fitness of plants.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Resources and Biotechnology for Carbon Reduction and Environmental Improvement, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China. 2160801011@cnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Resources and Biotechnology for Carbon Reduction and Environmental Improvement, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China. ying.cao@cnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Resources and Biotechnology for Carbon Reduction and Environmental Improvement, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China. ligeng.ma@cnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ligeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D057906:Circadian Clocks / Q000235:genetics; D004777:Environment; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D017343:Genes, Plant; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D063245:Plant Development / Q000235:genetics; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D013696:Temperature; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: alternative splicing; environmental fitness; gene expression; plant; transcriptional regulation