Two putative heat-sensitive splicing regulators: expression analysis and cloning in plant overexpression vectors

• Grant number: 21/00795-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: July 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Cristiane Paula Gomes Calixto
• Grantee: Nayara Moreira Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/13158-8 - Transcriptome-wide analysis of rice temperature memory and heat responses, AP.JP

Abstract

Rice is a major food crop but heat stress affects its yield and grain quality. To identify mechanistic solutions to improve rice yield under rising temperatures, molecular responses of heat stress tolerance must be understood. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional controls are involved in a wide range of plant environmental responses. Alternative splicing, in particular, is a widespread mechanism impacting the stress defense in plants, but little is known about how the variation of the transcribed isoforms is regulated by changes in temperature. The levels and activity of hundreds of splicing factors change in response to temperature, suggesting the involvement of these factors in the regulation of the plant transcriptome under heat stress. The proteins encoded by the rice genes LOC_Os02g40900 and LOC_Os05g30140 have RNA recognition motifs and both genes are possible candidates for heat-sensitive splicing regulation. In addition to responding to heat stress, these genes are also homologous to the Arabidopsis genes At3g04500 and At1g55310 (SR33 / SCL33), respectively, which are also strongly affected by temperature changes. The function of these rice genes is unknown. Thus, this project intends to 1) investigate the expression profile of LOC_Os02g40900 and LOC_Os05g30140; and 2) generate expression plasmids for these genes, to be used in future transformations of heat-susceptible rice cultivars.