Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Floral Gene Expression: Identification and Mechanisms of a Novel RNA-Binding Protein for Proper Splicing of Transcripts of Conserved Floral Regulatory Genes

Abstract:
RNA splicing is essential for proper gene expression and affects developmental and physiological processes, but transcript-specific regulation of splicing in plants is well understood. Arabidopsis exons have an average length of ~ 180 nucleotides and often contain motifs called Exon Splicing Enhancers (ESEs), which promote proper splicing. A subset of plant and animal exons are short, including micro exons (<51 nucleotides) and small exons (51-100 nucleotides), which often lack such ESEs. There are many thousands of these short exons and they likely require additional factors for retention, but it is not known what factors are responsible for ensuring the regulated retention of micro and small exons. The genes that contain micro exons include highly conserved floral regulatory genes with known function across diverse plants; are these micro exons also conserved? How are their splicing regulated? To address these questions, the gene structures of the floral regulatory genes were examined. Importantly, a novel factor was identified that is required for the proper retention of the micro exons of floral genes and the normal transcript splicing for over 2000 genes, which are implicated in multiple processes. In addition, molecular genetic experiments were carried out to test hypotheses of regarding the molecular mechanisms of regulation of splicing by this novel factor. These results will be presented and discussed with possible implication on conservation of regulatory factors and mechanisms of plant RNA splicing, especially those of micro exons and small exons.

About the Speaker:
Hong Ma is a Huck Chair of Plant Reproductive Development and Evolution and Professor of Biology, and a long-term member of the Plant Biology Graduate Program at Penn State. He received his Ph.D. from MIT with research experience in molecular genetic analyses of yeast gene regulation, followed by post-doctoral training at Caltech under the supervision of Elliot Meyerowitz. He worked as a PI at Cold Spring Harbor Lab, before coming to Penn State as a faculty member in the Biology Department and the Life Sciences Consortium, the predecessor of Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. His research has focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant reproductive development, under both favorable and stressful conditions, and how such mechanisms have evolved across plant diversity. He is active in both undergraduate and graduate teaching, including in the Plant Biology Graduate Program, enjoys discussions with the members of the Penn State plant community. He is the fourth member of the Biology/Huck faculty to become the President Elect of the American Society of Plant Biologists.

Contact

Ying Gu
yug13@psu.edu