Alternative Splicing Control of Abiotic Stress Responses

Alternative splicing, which generates multiple transcripts and potentially more than one protein from the same gene, is markedly changed by environmental stresses that negatively impact on plant growth and development. Plant stress-related genes are particularly prone to alternative splicing events, which often modulate the ratio between active and non-active isoforms in response to abiotic stress, thus fine-tuning the expression of key stress regulators. Recent genetic and transcriptomic analyses have identified important roles for numerous splicing factors in the control of plant abiotic stress responses. Emerging evidence indicates that splicing factors modulate stress responses by targeting components of the ABA pathway, unveiling a novel regulatory layer in plant stress tolerance. Alternative splicing, which generates multiple transcripts from the same gene, is an important modulator of gene expression that can increase proteome diversity and regulate mRNA levels. In plants, this post-transcriptional mechanism is markedly induced in response to environmental stress, and recent studies have identified alternative splicing events that allow rapid adjustment of the abundance and function of key stress-response components. In agreement, plant mutants defective in splicing factors are severely impaired in their response to abiotic stress. Notably, mounting evidence indicates that alternative splicing regulates stress responses largely by targeting the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway. We review here current understanding of post-transcriptional control of plant stress tolerance via alternative splicing and discuss research challenges for the near future. Alternative splicing, which generates multiple transcripts from the same gene, is an important modulator of gene expression that can increase proteome diversity and regulate mRNA levels. In plants, this post-transcriptional mechanism is markedly induced in response to environmental stress, and recent studies have identified alternative splicing events that allow rapid adjustment of the abundance and function of key stress-response components. In agreement, plant mutants defective in splicing factors are severely impaired in their response to abiotic stress. Notably, mounting evidence indicates that alternative splicing regulates stress responses largely by targeting the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway. We review here current understanding of post-transcriptional control of plant stress tolerance via alternative splicing and discuss research challenges for the near future. the detrimental effect of environmental (nonliving) factors − for example extreme temperatures, drought, flooding, toxic compounds − on living organisms such as plants. an isoprenoid plant hormone involved in various developmental processes − for example seed maturation and germination, seed and bud dormancy, and floral transition − and a major player in mediating plant responses to abiotic stress through the regulation of stomatal closure and induction of the expression of stress response genes. occurs when splice sites are differentially recognized and multiple transcripts are generated from the same pre-mRNA, greatly enhancing the coding capacity of the genome and providing a means for regulating gene expression. a large family of structurally diverse RNA-binding proteins, usually consisting of several RNA-binding domains connected by linker regions of varying length, that are involved in multiple aspects of nucleic acid metabolism such as alternative splicing, mRNA stability, or transcriptional and translational regulation. a version of a protein showing a similar but not identical amino acid sequence that, when originating from the same pre-mRNA, often results from alternative splicing. the negative impact of a sudden change in solute concentration, causing a rapid passage of water or another solvent across a membrane by osmosis, which in living cells can result in cell lysis (rupture of the plasma membrane). a single strand of messenger RNA (mRNA), produced by transcription of the genomic DNA, that has yet to be processed or has been processed incompletely. the stepwise process by which introns are excised from the pre-mRNA and the exons are joined to produce a mature mRNA molecule. a conserved family of RNA-binding proteins involved mainly in pre-mRNA splicing − but that are also implicated in other post-transcriptional functions such as mRNA export, stability, and translation − that are characterized by the presence of one or two N-terminal RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs) and a C-terminal arginine/serine dipeptide-rich RS domain involved in protein interactions. RNA–protein complexes comprising small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and many nuclear proteins − the five snRNPs that form the spliceosome, called U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6, are all essential for the removal of introns from pre-mRNAs. a large and complex molecular apparatus, composed of five snRNPs and numerous spliceosome-associated proteins, that carries out the splicing reaction.