Alternative Polyadenylation Is a Novel Strategy for the Regulation of Gene Expression in Response to Stresses in Plants

Precursor message RNA requires processing to generate mature RNA. Cleavage and polyadenylation at the 3 '-end in the maturation of mRNA is one of key processing steps in eukaryotes. The polyadenylation (poly(A)) tail of mRNA is an essential feature that is required to mediate its nuclear export, stability, translation efficiency, and subcellular localization. Most genes have at least two mRNA isoforms via alternative splicing (AS) or alternative polyadenylation (APA), which increases the diversity of transcriptome and proteome. However, most previous studies have focused on the role of alternative splicing on the regulation of gene expression. In this review, we summarize the recent advances concerning APA in the regulation of gene expression and in response to stresses in plants. We also discuss the mechanisms for the regulation of APA for plants in the adaptation to stress responses, and suggest that APA is a novel strategy for the adaptation to environmental changes and response to stresses in plants.

Automated summary

Precursor message RNA needs processing to produce mature RNA. Cleavage and polyadenylation at the 3'-end in mRNA maturation is a crucial step. The poly(A) tail of mRNA is essential for nuclear export, stability, translation efficiency, and subcellular localization. Most genes have multiple mRNA isoforms through alternative splicing (AS) or alternative polyadenylation (APA), increasing transcriptome and proteome diversity. This review highlights recent advances in APA regulation of gene expression and stress responses in plants, suggesting APA as a novel strategy for plant adaptation to environmental changes and stress responses.