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Low temperature promotes intron retention in two e-cor genes of durum wheat

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Abstract

Following the screening of a suppression subtractive library developed from durum wheat plants exposed to low temperature for 6 h, two early cold-regulated (e-cor) genes have been isolated. These genes, coding putatively for a ribokinase (7H8) and a C3H2C3 RING-finger protein (6G2), were characterized by the stress-induced retention of a subset of introns in the mature mRNA. This feature was dependent on cold for 7H8 and on cold and dehydration for 6G2. When other genes, such as the stress-related gene WCOR410c, coding for a dehydrin (one intron), or a gene coding for a putative ATP binding cassette transporter (16 introns) were analyzed, no cold-dependent intron retention was observed. Cold-induced intron retention was not observed in mutants defective in the chloroplast development; nevertheless treatment with cycloheximide in the absence of cold was able to promote intron retention for the 7H8 e-cor gene. These results suggest that the cold-induced intron retention reflects the response of the spliceosoma to specific environmental signals transduced to the splicing protein factors through a chloroplast-dependent pathway. Notably, when the 7H8 Arabidopsis orthologous gene was analyzed, no stress induction in terms of mRNA abundance and no cold-dependent intron retention was detected. Otherwise, 6G2 Arabidopsis homologous sequences sharing the same genomic structure of the durum wheat 6G2 showed a similar intron retention event although not strictly dependent on stress.

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Abbreviations

ATMEKK:

Arabidopsis thaliana MAP kinase or ERK kinase kinase

CBF/DREB1:

C-repeat binding factor/dehydration responsive element binding protein

RWC:

Relative water content

RPL12:

Ribosomal protein L12

e-cor :

Early cold-regulated

Pfam:

Protein families database

SMART:

Simple modular architecture research tool

RING:

Really interesting gene

SUMO:

Small ubiquitin-related modifier

CHX:

Cycloheximide

dhn8 :

Dehydrin 8

WCOR410c:

Wheat cold-regulated gene 410c

ABC:

ATP binding cassette

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science (Progetto FIRB-plant stress) and Ministry of Agriculture (Progetto FRUMISIS) of Italy. The authors thank Dr. Matteo Busconi (Institute for Plant Genetics, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy) for his technical assistance during sequencing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Institute for Cereal Research, S.S. 16 km 675, 71100, Foggia, Italy

    Anna Maria Mastrangelo & Natale Di Fonzo

  2. Experimental Institute for Cereal Research, via S. Protaso 402, 29017, Fiorenzuola D’Arda (PC), Italy

    Sara Belloni, Samantha Barilli, Antonio Michele Stanca & Luigi Cattivelli

  3. Department of Crop Production and Agricultural Technologies, via delle Scienze 208, 33100, Udine (UD), Italy

    Benedetto Ruperti

Authors
  1. Anna Maria Mastrangelo
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  2. Sara Belloni
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  3. Samantha Barilli
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  4. Benedetto Ruperti
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  5. Natale Di Fonzo
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  6. Antonio Michele Stanca
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  7. Luigi Cattivelli
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Correspondence to Anna Maria Mastrangelo.

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Mastrangelo, A.M., Belloni, S., Barilli, S. et al. Low temperature promotes intron retention in two e-cor genes of durum wheat. Planta 221, 705–715 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-004-1475-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-004-1475-3

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