An event of alternative splicing affects the expression of the NTRC gene, encoding NADPH-thioredoxin reductase C, in seed plants.
The NTRC gene encodes a NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase with a joint thioredoxin domain, exclusive of photosynthetic organisms. An updated search shows that although most species harbor a single copy of the NTRC gene, two copies were identified in different species of the genus Solanum, Glycine max and the moss Physcomitrella patens. The phylogenetic analysis of NTRCs from different sources produced a tree with the major groups of photosynthetic organisms: cyanobacteria, algae and land plants, indicating the evolutionary success of the NTRC gene among photosynthetic eukaryotes. An event of alternative splicing affecting the expression of the NTRC gene was identified, which is conserved in seed plants but not in algae, bryophytes and lycophytes. The alternative splicing event results in a transcript with premature stop codon, which would produce a truncated form of the enzyme. The standard splicing/alternative splicing (SS/AS) transcripts ratio was higher in photosynthetic tissues from Arabidopsis, Brachypodium and tomato, in line with the higher content of the NTRC polypeptide in these tissues. Moreover, environmental stresses such as cold or high salt affected the SS/AS ratio of the NTRC gene transcripts in Brachypodium seedlings. These results suggest that the alternative splicing of the NTRC gene might be an additional mechanism for modulating the content of NTRC in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic tissues of seed plants.
Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla and CSIC, Avda Américo Vespucio 49, 41092, Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: mvictoria.armario@ibvf.csic.es.
Victoria A
VA
Nájera
Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla and CSIC, Avda Américo Vespucio 49, 41092, Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: maricruz@ibvf.csic.es.
María Cruz
MC
González
Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla and CSIC, Avda Américo Vespucio 49, 41092, Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: jmperez@ibvf.csic.es.
Juan Manuel
JM
Pérez-Ruiz
Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla and CSIC, Avda Américo Vespucio 49, 41092, Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: fjcejudo@us.es.
Francisco Javier
FJ
Cejudo
D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology*; D019068:Bryopsida / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D032322:Solanum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013880:Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
D010940:Plant Proteins; D013880:Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase
Algae; Alternative splicing; Cyanobacteria; NADPH thioredoxin reductase C; Phylogenetic analysis; Plant