scholarly journals Analysis of alternative splicing events in the root tips and nodules of Pisum sativum L

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeny A. Zorin ◽  
Olga A. Kulaeva ◽  
Alexey M. Afonin ◽  
Vladimir A. Zhukov ◽  
Igor A. Tikhonovich

Background. Legumes establish symbioses with nitrogen-fixing bacteria from the Rhizobium group. In exchange for nutrients, bacteria provide fixed nitrogen needed to support plant growth. At the moment, information about the involvement of alternative splicing (AS) in the establishment and maintenance this symbiotic relationships is almost absent, but, as it is a powerful mechanism for the regulation of proteome diversity of the cell, it therefore may participate in cellular response to microsymbionts. Materials and methods. Alternative splicing was analyzed using the assembly of supertranscripts and alignment of the reads from nodules and root tips to this reference. Target genes expression levels was estimated in tips of non-inoculated roots, and in nodules (2, 4, and 6 weeks post inoculation) with use of RT-qPCR. Results.In this study, the analysis of AS events in the nodules and root tips of the pea was carried out. The presence of isoforms of four pea genes (PsSIP1, PsIGN, PsWRKY40, PsPR-10) was confirmed and their expression level was estimated. Conclusion. Pea nodules were shown to be more enriched with AS events compared to root tips. Among the functional groups of genes that demonstrate AS events, one of the most enriched functional groups is the pathogens stress response. Intron retention probably leads to degradation of the transcript via NMD-system or to change of the protein function, that modulates the activity of genes in nodules.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiomar Martín ◽  
Yamile Márquez ◽  
Federica Mantica ◽  
Paula Duque ◽  
Manuel Irimia

Abstract Background Alternative splicing (AS) is a widespread regulatory mechanism in multicellular organisms. Numerous transcriptomic and single-gene studies in plants have investigated AS in response to specific conditions, especially environmental stress, unveiling substantial amounts of intron retention that modulate gene expression. However, a comprehensive study contrasting stress-response and tissue-specific AS patterns and directly comparing them with those of animal models is still missing. Results We generate a massive resource for Arabidopsis thaliana, PastDB, comprising AS and gene expression quantifications across tissues, development and environmental conditions, including abiotic and biotic stresses. Harmonized analysis of these datasets reveals that A. thaliana shows high levels of AS, similar to fruitflies, and that, compared to animals, disproportionately uses AS for stress responses. We identify core sets of genes regulated specifically by either AS or transcription upon stresses or among tissues, a regulatory specialization that is tightly mirrored by the genomic features of these genes. Unexpectedly, non-intron retention events, including exon skipping, are overrepresented across regulated AS sets in A. thaliana, being also largely involved in modulating gene expression through NMD and uORF inclusion. Conclusions Non-intron retention events have likely been functionally underrated in plants. AS constitutes a distinct regulatory layer controlling gene expression upon internal and external stimuli whose target genes and master regulators are hardwired at the genomic level to specifically undergo post-transcriptional regulation. Given the higher relevance of AS in the response to different stresses when compared to animals, this molecular hardwiring is likely required for a proper environmental response in A. thaliana.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiomar Martín ◽  
Yamile Márquez ◽  
Federica Mantica ◽  
Paula Duque ◽  
Manuel Irimia

AbstractBackgroundAlternative splicing (AS) is a widespread regulatory mechanism in multicellular organisms. Numerous transcriptomic and single-gene studies in plants have investigated AS in response to specific conditions, especially environmental stress, unveiling substantial amounts of intron retention that modulate gene expression. However, a comprehensive study contrasting stress-response and tissue-specific AS patterns and directly comparing them with those of animal models is still missing.ResultsWe generated a massive resource for A. thaliana (PastDB; pastdb.crg.eu), comprising AS and gene expression quantifications across tissues, development and environmental conditions, including abiotic and biotic stresses. Harmonized analysis of these datasets revealed that A. thaliana shows high levels of AS (similar to fruitflies) and that, compared to animals, disproportionately uses AS for stress responses. We identified core sets of genes regulated specifically by either AS or transcription upon stresses or among tissues, a regulatory specialization that was tightly mirrored by the genomic features of these genes. Unexpectedly, non-intron retention events, including exon skipping, were overrepresented across regulated AS sets in A. thaliana, being also largely involved in modulating gene expression through NMD and uORF inclusion.ConclusionsNon-intron retention events have likely been functionally underrated in plants. AS constitutes a distinct regulatory layer controlling gene expression upon internal and external stimuli whose target genes and master regulators are hardwired at the genomic level to specifically undergo post-transcriptional regulation. Given the higher relevance of AS in the response to different stresses when compared to animals, this molecular hardwiring is likely required for a proper environmental response in A. thaliana.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawei Chen ◽  
Zhenguo Zhao ◽  
Lu Chen ◽  
Qinghua Li ◽  
Jixue Zou ◽  
...  

AbstractEmerging evidence has demonstrated that alternative splicing has a vital role in regulating protein function, but how alternative splicing factors can be regulated remains unclear. We showed that the PPM1G, a protein phosphatase, regulated the phosphorylation of SRSF3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and contributed to the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of HCC. PPM1G was highly expressed in HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, and higher levels of PPM1G were observed in adverse staged HCCs. The higher levels of PPM1G were highly correlated with poor prognosis, which was further validated in the TCGA cohort. The knockdown of PPM1G inhibited the cell growth and invasion of HCC cell lines. Further studies showed that the knockdown of PPM1G inhibited tumor growth in vivo. The mechanistic analysis showed that the PPM1G interacted with proteins related to alternative splicing, including SRSF3. Overexpression of PPM1G promoted the dephosphorylation of SRSF3 and changed the alternative splicing patterns of genes related to the cell cycle, the transcriptional regulation in HCC cells. In addition, we also demonstrated that the promoter of PPM1G was activated by multiple transcription factors and co-activators, including MYC/MAX and EP300, MED1, and ELF1. Our study highlighted the essential role of PPM1G in HCC and shed new light on unveiling the regulation of alternative splicing in malignant transformation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Nunes da Silva ◽  
Carla S. Santos ◽  
Ana Cruz ◽  
Adrián López-Villamor ◽  
Marta W. Vasconcelos

AbstractThe pine wilt disease (PWD), for which no effective treatment is available at the moment, is a constant threat to Pinus spp. plantations worldwide, being responsible for significant economic and environmental losses every year. It has been demonstrated that elicitation with chitosan increases plant tolerance to the pinewood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of the PWD, but the biochemical and genetic aspects underlying this response have not been explored. To understand the influence of chitosan in Pinus pinaster tolerance against PWN, a low-molecular-weight (327 kDa) chitosan was applied to mock- and PWN-inoculated plants. Nematode population, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, lignin and gene expression related to oxidative stress (thioredoxin 1, TRX) and plant defence (defensin, DEF, and a-farnesene synthase, AFS), were analysed at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-inoculation (dpi). At 28 dpi, PWN-infected plants elicited with chitosan showed a sixfold lower nematode population when compared to non-elicited plants. Higher levels of MDA, catalase, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, and lignin were detected in chitosan-elicited plants following infection. The expression levels of DEF gene were higher in elicited plants, while TRX and AFS expression was lower, possibly due to the disease containment-effect of chitosan. Combined, we conclude that chitosan induces pine defences against PWD via modulation of metabolic and transcriptomic mechanisms related with plant antioxidant system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Liu ◽  
Shuo Zhao ◽  
Pengli Li ◽  
Yilu Yin ◽  
Qingliang Niu ◽  
...  

AbstractIn plants, alternative splicing (AS) is markedly induced in response to environmental stresses, but it is unclear why plants generate multiple transcripts under stress conditions. In this study, RNA-seq was performed to identify AS events in cucumber seedlings grown under different light intensities. We identified a novel transcript of the gibberellin (GA)-deactivating enzyme Gibberellin 2-beta-dioxygenase 8 (CsGA2ox8). Compared with canonical CsGA2ox8.1, the CsGA2ox8.2 isoform presented intron retention between the second and third exons. Functional analysis proved that the transcript of CsGA2ox8.1 but not CsGA2ox8.2 played a role in the deactivation of bioactive GAs. Moreover, expression analysis demonstrated that both transcripts were upregulated by increased light intensity, but the expression level of CsGA2ox8.1 increased slowly when the light intensity was >400 µmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density), while the CsGA2ox8.2 transcript levels increased rapidly when the light intensity was >200 µmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD. Our findings provide evidence that plants might finely tune their GA levels by buffering against the normal transcripts of CsGA2ox8 through AS.


Author(s):  
Mannix Burns ◽  
Brendan Epstein ◽  
Liana Burghardt

Leguminous plants form symbiotic relationships with rhizobia. These nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in specialized root organs called nodules. While rhizobia form the most notable host relationship within root nodules, other bacterial endophytes also inhabit these root nodules and can influence host-rhizobia interactions as well as exert effects of their own, whether beneficial or detrimental. In this study, we investigate differences in nodule communities between genotypes (A17 and R108) of a single plant species, the model legume Medicago truncatula. While diversity of endophytes in nodules was similar across hosts, both nodule endophyte composition and gene functional groups differed. In contrast to the significant direct effect of host genotype, neither the presence nor identity of a host in the previous generation (either A17 or R108) had a significant effect on the nodule endophyte diversity or composition. However, whether or not a host was present altered gene functional groups. We conclude that genetic variation within a legume host species can play an important role in the establishment of nodule microbiomes. Further studies, including GWAS and functional assays, can open the door for engineering and optimizing nodule endophyte communities that promote growth or have other beneficial qualities.


Hypertension ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiro Ichiki

Background: Prolyl hydroxylase domain-containing protein (PHD) mediates hydroxylation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and thereby induces proteasomal degradation of HIF-1α. Inhibition of PHD by hypoxia or hypoxia mimetics such as cobalt chloride (CoCl2) stabilizes HIF-1 and increases the expression of target genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Although hypoxia activates the systemic renin angiotensin system (RAS), the role of PHD in regulating RAS remains unknown. We examined the effect of PHD inhibition on the expression of angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and its signaling. Methods and Results: Hypoxia (1% O2), CoCl2 (100-300 μmol/L), and dimethyloxalylglycine (0.25-1.0 mmol/L), all known to inhibit PHD, reduced AT1R expression by 37.7±7.6, 39.6±8.4-69.7±9.9, and 13.4±6.1-25.2±7.0%, respectively (p<0.01) in cultured vascular smooth muscle cell. The same stimuli increased the expression of nuclear HIF-1α and VEGF (p<0.05), suggesting that PHD activity is inhibited. Knockdown of PHD2, a major isoform of PHDs, by RNA interference also reduced AT1R expression by 55.3±6.0% (p<0.01). CoCl2 decreased AT1R mRNA through transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms (p<0.01 and <0.05, respectively). CoCl2 and PHD2 knockdown diminished Ang II-induced ERK phosphorylation (P<0.01). Over-expression of the constitutively active HIF-1α did not impact the AT1R gene promoter activity. Oral administration of CoCl2 (14 mg/kg/day) to C57BL/6J mice receiving Ang II infusion (490 ng/kg/min) for 4 weeks significantly reduced the expression of AT1R in the aorta by 60.9±11.3% (p<0.05) and attenuated coronary perivascular fibrosis by 85% (p<0.01) without affecting blood pressure. However, CoCl2 did not affect Ang II-induced renal interstitial fibrosis. Conclusion: PHD inhibition downregulates AT1R expression independently of HIF-1α, reduces the cellular response to Ang II, and attenuates profibrotic effect of Ang II on the coronary arteries. PHD inhibition may be beneficial for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, in which activation of RAS plays a critical role.


DNA Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Tonny Maraga Nyong'A ◽  
Tao Shi ◽  
Pingfang Yang

Abstract Alternative splicing (AS) plays a critical role in regulating different physiological and developmental processes in eukaryotes, by dramatically increasing the diversity of the transcriptome and the proteome. However, the saturation and complexity of AS remain unclear in lotus due to its limitation of rare obtainment of full-length multiple-splice isoforms. In this study, we apply a hybrid assembly strategy by combining single-molecule real-time sequencing and Illumina RNA-seq to get a comprehensive insight into the lotus transcriptomic landscape. We identified 211,802 high-quality full-length non-chimeric reads, with 192,690 non-redundant isoforms, and updated the lotus reference gene model. Moreover, our analysis identified a total of 104,288 AS events from 16,543 genes, with alternative 3ʹ splice-site being the predominant model, following by intron retention. By exploring tissue datasets, 370 tissue-specific AS events were identified among 12 tissues. Both the tissue-specific genes and isoforms might play important roles in tissue or organ development, and are suitable for ‘ABCE’ model partly in floral tissues. A large number of AS events and isoform variants identified in our study enhance the understanding of transcriptional diversity in lotus, and provide valuable resource for further functional genomic studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3797-3810
Author(s):  
Manishi Pandey ◽  
Gary D. Stormo ◽  
Susan K. Dutcher

Genome-wide analysis of transcriptome data in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii shows periodic patterns in gene expression levels when cultures are grown under alternating light and dark cycles so that G1 of the cell cycle occurs in the light phase and S/M/G0 occurs during the dark phase. However, alternative splicing, a process that enables a greater protein diversity from a limited set of genes, remains largely unexplored by previous transcriptome based studies in C. reinhardtii. In this study, we used existing longitudinal RNA-seq data obtained during the light-dark cycle to investigate the changes in the alternative splicing pattern and found that 3277 genes (19.75% of 17,746 genes) undergo alternative splicing. These splicing events include Alternative 5′ (Alt 5′), Alternative 3′ (Alt 3′) and Exon skipping (ES) events that are referred as alternative site selection (ASS) events and Intron retention (IR) events. By clustering analysis, we identified a subset of events (26 ASS events and 10 IR events) that show periodic changes in the splicing pattern during the cell cycle. About two-thirds of these 36 genes either introduce a pre-termination codon (PTC) or introduce insertions or deletions into functional domains of the proteins, which implicate splicing in altering gene function. These findings suggest that alternative splicing is also regulated during the Chlamydomonas cell cycle, although not as extensively as changes in gene expression. The longitudinal changes in the alternative splicing pattern during the cell cycle captured by this study provides an important resource to investigate alternative splicing in genes of interest during the cell cycle in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and other eukaryotes.


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