Journal
RNA BIOLOGY
Volume 11, Issue 7, Pages 968-976Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC
DOI: 10.4161/rna.29781
Keywords
Arabidopsis thaliana; mitochondria; RNA; 5 end processing; pentatricopeptide repeat proteins; RNA processing factor; polynucleotide phosphorylase
Categories
Funding
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Bi-590/10-2]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Post-transcriptional maturation of plant mitochondrial transcripts requires several steps. Among these, the generation of mature 5 ends is still one of the most enigmatic processes. Toward a characterization of proteins involved in 5 processing of mitochondrial transcripts in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), we now analyzed 5 maturation of nad2 transcripts. Based on natural genetic variation affecting 5 ends of nad2 transcripts in ecotype Can-0 and complementation studies we now identified RNA processing factor 7, which takes part in the generation of the 5 terminus of the mature nad2 mRNA. RPF7 is a relatively short regular P-class pentatricopeptide repeat protein comprising seven canonical P repeats and a single short S repeat. The corresponding allele in Can-0 encodes a truncated version of this protein lacking two C-terminal repeats, which are essential for the function of RPF7. Furthermore we established transgenic plants expressing artifical microRNAs targeting the mitochondrial polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), which results in substantial reduction of the PNPase mRNA levels and strong knockdown of this gene. Detailed quantitative studies of 5 and 3 extended nad2 precursor RNAs in these knockdown plants as well as in the rpf7-1 knockout mutant suggest that 5 processing contributes to the stability of mitochondrial transcripts in plants.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available