Project description:Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new group of noncoding and regulatory RNAs that are particularly abundant in the nervous system, although their physiological functions are underexplored. Here we report that the brain-enriched circular RNA Edis (Ect4-derived immune suppressor) plays an essential role in neuronal development in Drosophila, as its depletion causes defective axonal projection of mushroom body (MB) neurons in the brain, as well as impaired locomotor activity and shortened lifespan of adult flies. In addition, we show that the castor gene, which encodes a transcription factor involved in neurodevelopment, is upregulated in Edis knockdown neurons. Notably, castor overexpression phenocopies Edis knockdown, and reducing castor levels suppresses the neuronal developmental phenotypes in Edis-depleted neurons. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis reveals that the immune transcription factor Relish occupies two sites at the castor promoter, and that both sites are required for optimal castor gene activation induced by either immune challenge or Edis depletion. Lastly, Relish mutation rescues both the castor hyperactivation phenotype and neuronal defects in Edis knockdown animals. We conclude that the circular RNA Edis acts through Relish and castor to regulate neuronal development.
Project description:Castor is an important industrial raw material. Drought leads to delayed development and reduced yield of castor plants. However, the molecular mechanism of the response of castor plants to drought stress has not been determined. In this study, physiological, biochemical, and RNA-seq analyses were conducted on castor roots under PEG-6000 stress for 3, 7, and 4 d (11 d) of rehydration. The activities of GR, APX, SOD, and CAT in the roots of the castor plants under PEG-6000 stress increased at 3 d and decreased at 7 d, while the activity of POD continued to increase. A total of 2926, 1507, and 111 DEGs were identified in castor roots stressed with PEG-6000 for 3 d and 7 d and rehydrated for 4 d (11 d), respectively. GO analysis revealed that antioxidant activity was significantly enriched under PEG stress. In addition, KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were significantly involved in glutathione metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction. KEGG combined with WGCNA was used to screen two drought stress-related genes, PP2C39 and GA2ox4. We propose an oxidative stress model for castor plants under drought stress based on GO terms, KEGG pathway, and WGNA analyses. This study identified high-quality genes for the genetic and molecular breeding of drought-resistant castor beans.