Alternative splicing impact induced by light during Arabidopsis thaliana seeds germination.

SERVI, LUCAS; TOGNACCA, ROCÍO; PETRILLO, EZEQUIEL

Salta

Congreso; Joint LV Annual SAIB Meeting and XIV PABMB Congress; 2019

Gene expression in eukaryotes is a complex process that involves different regulatory mechanisms. RNA processing is an important layer of the path genes enjoy during and after transcription. Particularly, alternative splicing (AS) brings to the game a whole new spectrum of transcriptsoriginated from a single gene, making available a wider range of responses to the cell. This mechanism is then considered one of the main sourcesof protein and non-coding ARNs diversity. In plants, the relevance of AS is growing as a result of the advance in sequencing techniques. Theseautotrophic organisms harvest their energy from light. Being sessile organisms, plants need to adapt to a changing environment; evolution handeda vast variety of mechanisms to perceive variations in the ever-changing environment, and to respond precisely to them. In this sense, light is oneof the main stimuli sensed by photoreceptor proteins. Chloroplasts?which are the organelles where photosynthesis occurs?are one of the mainplayers in the sensing of light, modulating gene expression by retrograde signaling. Mitochondria are also, by the means of retrograde signaling,capable of modulating AS in the nucleus. In the plant life cycle, the seed is a quiescent stage where the embryo awaits favorable conditions togerminate and develop a mature plant. We are interested in understanding AS modulation during the early stages of seed development, itsmaturation, and future germination. Previous work indicates AS is regulated by light in the seeds. Some of the analyzed events are controlled byphotoreceptors while others are not; these could be affected by retrograde signals. Our experimental approach will allow us to identify the role andthe different light-sensing mechanisms interaction, like retrograde signals and photoreceptor pathways, during the whole life of the seed.