Abstract
In all organisms, splicing occurs through the formation of spliceosome complexes, and splicing auxiliary factors are essential during splicing. U2AF65 is a crucial splicing cofactor, and the two typical RNA-recognition motifs at its center recognize and bind the polypyrimidine sequence located between the intron branch site and the 3′-splice site. U2AF65A is a member of the U2AF65 gene family, with pivotal roles in diseases in mammals, specifically humans; however, few studies have investigated plant U2AF65A, and its specific functions are poorly understood. Therefore, in the present study, we systematically identified U2AF65A in plant species from algae to angiosperms. Based on 113 putative U2AF65A sequences from 33 plant species, phylogenetic analyses were performed, followed by basic bioinformatics, including the comparisons of gene structure, protein domains, promoter motifs, and gene expression levels. In addition, using rice as the model crop, we demonstrated that the OsU2AF65A protein is localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm, and it is involved in responses to various stresses, such as drought, high salinity, low temperature, and heavy metal exposure (e.g., cadmium). Using Arabidopsis thaliana and rice mutants, we demonstrated that U2AF65A is involved in the accumulation of plant biomass, growth of hypocotyl upon thermal stimulation, and reduction of tolerance of high temperature stress. These findings offer an overview of the U2AF65 gene family and its stress response functions, serving as the reference for further comprehensive functional studies of the essential specific splicing cofactor U2AF65A in the plant kingdom.
Highlights
Transcripts produced by transcription in the nucleus of eukaryotes are not directly translated into proteins
To identify U2AF65A genes in different plant species, we carried out a BLAST search using the Arabidopsis thaliana U2AF65A protein sequence against the Phytozome database (v12.1.6)
For the distribution of the number of genes in these 33 species, one gene was found in nine species, two genes were found in five species (Anacardium occidentale, Cicer arietinum, Citrus sinensis, Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, and Sorghum bicolor), three genes were found in five species (Solanum lycopersicum, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, Helianthus annuus, Spirodela polyrhiza, and Zostera marina), four genes were found in seven species, five genes were found in four species (Chenopodium quinoa, Miscanthus sinensis, Marchantia polymorpha, and Physcomitrella patens), seven genes were found in one species (Hordeum vulgare), eight genes were found in one species (Solanum tuberosum), and 15 genes were found in one species (Triticum aestivum) (Supplementary Table 1)
Summary
Transcripts produced by transcription in the nucleus of eukaryotes are not directly translated into proteins. These original transcripts that have been transcribed without modification are called premRNAs. These original transcripts that have been transcribed without modification are called premRNAs It forms mature mRNA after capping, splicing, and tailing in the nucleus. The splicing of pre-mRNA is completed by a large, dynamic complex called the spliceosome. Phylogenetic Analysis of the Plant U2AF65A of spliceosome, i.e., major and minor spliceosomes (Wahl et al, 2009). Splicing is regulated by the trans-acting factor-spliceosome, which includes five small nuclear RNAs (U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6) and more than 100 core proteins (Galej, 2018), one of which is U2AF. U2AF consists of two subunits, U2AF65 and U2AF35, and their relative molecular weights are 65 and 35 kDa, respectively
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