Regulation of pre-mRNA splicing by the circadian system

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

The survival of plants depends upon their ability to anticipate and respond appropriately to environmental challenges such as changes in light, temperature, and encounters with pests and pathogens. A key regulator of the timing and magnitude of responses to such challenges is the plant circadian clock. Advantageous variants of components of this internal timekeeper have been selected by farmers during the domestication of many crops; further selection of clock components will be important as we adapt existing crop species to a changing climate. A better understanding of the nature of the plant circadian clock and how it interacts with fundamental cellular processes is required to expedite such efforts. The project supported by this award will investigate the relationship between the plant circadian clock and RNA processing, providing valuable insights into both these highly conserved and essential processes. In addition, the project will help train a new generation of scientists, engaging high school and undergraduate students as well as graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. An important component will be a research-based course for first-year college students; such courses have been shown to increase persistence of students in science and enhance their understanding of concepts and development of skills. The overall objective of this project is to understand how the circadian system and RNA generation and processing pathways interact with each other. The abundance of approximately one-third of transcripts in Arabidopsis thaliana are regulated by the circadian oscillator. However, the respective contributions of circadian control of transcription, RNA processing, and RNA export from the nucleus on these rhythms have not been investigated. Moreover, the relative influence of these processes on normal circadian function is still being clarified. This project will use genomic, genetic, biochemical, and modeling methods to investigate the connections between pre-mRNA processing and the circadian system, the role of splicing kinetics in the circadian clock, and the functional relationship between XCT and PRP19, two factors highly conserved across eukaryotes that play important roles in both RNA processing and circadian clock function. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.