Abstract
Control of gene expression is exerted by multiple steps such as transcription, processing and post-transcriptional events including mRNA export, mRNA degradation, translation, and post-translational events. Recent discovery of small RNAs has enhanced the impact of post-transcriptional regulation, in particular, control of mRNA stability. We first investigated control of mRNA decay in cold stress response in Arabidopsis. mRNA half-life can be determined by hybridizing microarrays to probes corresponding to total RNAs over a time course following inhibition of transcription. We use this strategy, called mRNA decay array, with Arabidopsis suspension cell culture (T87) to isolate genes regulated at the level of mRNA stability after cold stress treatment. The suspension cell culture showed the similar response to cold stress as the intact plants at early stages of their growth. The result implies that the system is suitable for understanding the cold response at the single cell level. This microarray analysis revealed that several transcripts are stabilized or destabilized efficiently enough to change the steady state level of mRNAs.
