Project description:Cold stress resulting from chilling and freezing temperatures substantially inhibits plant growth and reduces crop production worldwide. Tremendous research efforts have been focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of freezing tolerance in plants. Little is known about the molecular nature of chilling stress responses in plants. Here we found that two allelic mutants in a spliceosome component gene SmEb (smeb-1 and smeb-2) are defective in development and responses to chilling stress. RNA-seq analysis revealed that SmEb controls the splicing of many pre-mRNAs under chilling stress. The intron retentive COP1b splicing variant was dramatically induced by chilling stress in the smeb mutants. This nuclear-depleted COP1b lacks the nuclear speckle-localization capacity, supporting the regulatory role of COP1-HY5 interaction in hypocotyl elongation during chilling stress. Genetic evidence indicates that chilling-sensitive phenotype of the smeb mutants are partially rescued by the hy5 mutation. The transcription factor BES1 shows a dramatic defect in pre-mRNA splicing in the smeb mutants. Ectopic expression of the two BES1 splicing variants enhances the chilling sensitivity of the smeb-1 mutant. Biochemical and genetic analysis showed that CBFs act as negative upstream regulators of SmEb by directly suppressing its transcription. Together, our results demonstrate that proper alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs controlled by the spliceosome component SmEb is critical for plant development and chilling stress responses. Cold stress resulting from chilling and freezing temperatures substantially inhibits plant growth and reduces crop production worldwide. Tremendous research efforts have been focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of freezing tolerance in plants. Little is known about the molecular nature of chilling stress responses in plants. Here we found that two allelic mutants in a spliceosome component gene SmEb (smeb-1 and smeb-2) are defective in development and responses to chilling stress. RNA-seq analysis revealed that SmEb controls the splicing of many pre-mRNAs under chilling stress. The intron retentive COP1b splicing variant was dramatically induced by chilling stress in the smeb mutants. This nuclear-depleted COP1b lacks the nuclear speckle-localization capacity, supporting the regulatory role of COP1-HY5 interaction in hypocotyl elongation during chilling stress. Genetic evidence indicates that chilling-sensitive phenotype of the smeb mutants are partially rescued by the hy5 mutation. The transcription factor BES1 shows a dramatic defect in pre-mRNA splicing in the smeb mutants. Ectopic expression of the two BES1 splicing variants enhances the chilling sensitivity of the smeb-1 mutant. Biochemical and genetic analysis showed that CBFs act as negative upstream regulators of SmEb by directly suppressing its transcription. Together, our results demonstrate that proper alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs controlled by the spliceosome component SmEb is critical for plant development and chilling stress responses.

Project description:Our analysis of the sfr6 freezing-sensitive mutant (Knight, H., Veale, E., Warren, G. J. and Knight, M. R. (1999). Plant Cell 11, 875-886.) and cls8 (unpublished) chilling-sensitive mutant of Arabidopsis, has revealed that the expression of certain cold-regulated genes is aberrant in both these mutants. In order to understand the molecular basis of chilling and freezing stress in Arabidopsis and also to determine commonalities and differences between these 2 different physiological stress-tolerance processes, we request transcriptome analysis for both of these mutants compared to wild type in one experiment, upon cold treatment and at ambient conditions. The sfr6 mutant shows the most severe phenotype with respect to cold gene expression, but is tolerant to chilling (Knight, H., Veale, E., Warren, G. J. and Knight, M. R. (1999). Plant Cell 11, 875-886.). However, it is unable to cold acclimate and hence is sensitive to freezing. The cls8 mutant, on the other hand, has a relatively mild phenotype relative to the cold-regulated genes we have examined, but is very sensitive to chilling temperatures (15 to 10 degree centigrade). It is thus likely that in cls8 we have not yet identified the genes which are most affected, and which account for the physiological phenotype. Both sfr6 and cls8 have been fine-mapped and are close to being cloned. The cls8 mutant has an altered calcium signature in response to cold which means it is likely to be affected in early signalling, e.g. cold perception itself.We will compare the expression profiles of genes in sfr6, cls8 and Columbia (parental line for both mutants), both at ambient, and after treatment with cold (5 degrees) for 3 hours. This timepoint is designed to ÃÂcaptureÃÂ both rapidly responding genes e.g. CBF/DREB1 transcription factors, and also more slow genes e.g. COR genes (KIN1/2 and LTI78). Pilot northerns confirm that this time point is suitable.This analysis will provide new insight into 2 novel genes required for tolerance to low temperature in Arabidopsis, and additionally will determine the nature of overlap between the separate processes of chilling and freezing tolerance.

Project description:Our analysis of the sfr6 freezing-sensitive mutant (Knight, H., Veale, E., Warren, G. J. and Knight, M. R. (1999). Plant Cell 11, 875-886.) and cls8 (unpublished) chilling-sensitive mutant of Arabidopsis, has revealed that the expression of certain cold-regulated genes is aberrant in both these mutants. In order to understand the molecular basis of chilling and freezing stress in Arabidopsis and also to determine commonalities and differences between these 2 different physiological stress-tolerance processes, we request transcriptome analysis for both of these mutants compared to wild type in one experiment, upon cold treatment and at ambient conditions. The sfr6 mutant shows the most severe phenotype with respect to cold gene expression, but is tolerant to chilling (Knight, H., Veale, E., Warren, G. J. and Knight, M. R. (1999). Plant Cell 11, 875-886.). However, it is unable to cold acclimate and hence is sensitive to freezing. The cls8 mutant, on the other hand, has a relatively mild phenotype relative to the cold-regulated genes we have examined, but is very sensitive to chilling temperatures (15 to 10 degree centigrade). It is thus likely that in cls8 we have not yet identified the genes which are most affected, and which account for the physiological phenotype. Both sfr6 and cls8 have been fine-mapped and are close to being cloned. The cls8 mutant has an altered calcium signature in response to cold which means it is likely to be affected in early signalling, e.g. cold perception itself.We will compare the expression profiles of genes in sfr6, cls8 and Columbia (parental line for both mutants), both at ambient, and after treatment with cold (5 degrees) for 3 hours. This timepoint is designed to ÂcaptureÂ both rapidly responding genes e.g. CBF/DREB1 transcription factors, and also more slow genes e.g. COR genes (KIN1/2 and LTI78). Pilot northerns confirm that this time point is suitable.This analysis will provide new insight into 2 novel genes required for tolerance to low temperature in Arabidopsis, and additionally will determine the nature of overlap between the separate processes of chilling and freezing tolerance. Experiment Overall Design: Number of plants pooled:40-60

Project description:Our analysis of the sfr6 freezing-sensitive mutant (Knight, H., Veale, E., Warren, G. J. and Knight, M. R. (1999). Plant Cell 11, 875-886.) and cls8 (unpublished) chilling-sensitive mutant of Arabidopsis, has revealed that the expression of certain cold-regulated genes is aberrant in both these mutants. In order to understand the molecular basis of chilling and freezing stress in Arabidopsis and also to determine commonalities and differences between these 2 different physiological stress-tolerance processes, we request transcriptome analysis for both of these mutants compared to wild type in one experiment, upon cold treatment and at ambient conditions. The sfr6 mutant shows the most severe phenotype with respect to cold gene expression, but is tolerant to chilling (Knight, H., Veale, E., Warren, G. J. and Knight, M. R. (1999). Plant Cell 11, 875-886.). However, it is unable to cold acclimate and hence is sensitive to freezing. The cls8 mutant, on the other hand, has a relatively mild phenotype relative to the cold-regulated genes we have examined, but is very sensitive to chilling temperatures (15 to 10 degree centigrade). It is thus likely that in cls8 we have not yet identified the genes which are most affected, and which account for the physiological phenotype. Both sfr6 and cls8 have been fine-mapped and are close to being cloned. The cls8 mutant has an altered calcium signature in response to cold which means it is likely to be affected in early signalling, e.g. cold perception itself.We will compare the expression profiles of genes in sfr6, cls8 and Columbia (parental line for both mutants), both at ambient, and after treatment with cold (5 degrees) for 3 hours. This timepoint is designed to capture both rapidly responding genes e.g. CBF/DREB1 transcription factors, and also more slow genes e.g. COR genes (KIN1/2 and LTI78). Pilot northerns confirm that this time point is suitable.This analysis will provide new insight into 2 novel genes required for tolerance to low temperature in Arabidopsis, and additionally will determine the nature of overlap between the separate processes of chilling and freezing tolerance. Keywords: strain_or_line_design

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