GSE32216
SKIP Is a Component of the Spliceosome Linking Alternative Splicing and the Circadian Clock in Arabidopsis
Circadian clocks generate endogenous rhythms in most organisms from cyanobacteria to humans and facilitate entrainment to environmental diurnal cycles, thus conferring a fitness advantage. Both transcriptional and posttranslational mechanisms are prominent in the basic network architecture of circadian systems. Posttranscriptional regulation, including mRNA processing, is emerging as a critical step for the clock function. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms linking RNA metabolism to the circadian clock network. Here we report that a conserved SNW/SKIP domain protein, SKIP, a splicing factor and component of the spliceosome, is involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of circadian clock genes in Arabidopsis. Mutation in SKIP lengthens the circadian period in a temperature sensitive manner, affects light input and the sensitivity of light resetting to the clock. SKIP physically interacts with the spliceosomal splicing factor SR45 and associates with the pre-mRNA of clock genes, such as PRR7 and PRR9, and is necessary for the regulation of their alternative splicing and mRNA maturation. Genome-wide investigations reveal that SKIP functions in regulating alternative splicing of many genes, presumably through modulating recognition or cleavage of 5' and 3' splicing site. Our study addresses a fundamental question on how the mRNA splicing machinery contributes to circadian clock functions at a posttranscriptional level. Overall design: Our findings revealed that AtSKIP is a splicing factor and a component of spliceosome. To further investigate effects of mutation in SKIP on the genome-wide changes of alternative splicing, we performed ultra-highthroughput RNA sequencing, using 10-day old seedlings. Two biological replicates for both wild type (Col-0) and skip-2 were designed.