Abstract
We have demonstrated that an Arabidopsis homologue (atSR30) of mammalian ASF/SF2, a serine/arginine rich splicing factor, interacts with the factors for the initial definition of 5' and 3' splice sites and the other SR proteins and its expression is markedly induced by high-light stress. These findings suggest that atSR30 is involved in the regulation of stress responsive-alternative splicing (AS).
Here, we identified genes of which AS efficiencies are regulated by atSR30, by a whole genome tiling array technology. The expression levels of genome regions within 230 genes in the knockout atSR30 (KO-sr30) plants were significantly altered compared with the wild-type plants under high-light stress. Many genes encoded factors involved in signal transduction, protein turnover, and transcription. By semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis, 22 genes exhibited changes in the transcript levels and/or AS patterns under high-light stress. The sequencing analysis of the AS variants indicated that atSR30 functions as a regulator of the exon skipping- and alternative 5',3' splice sites-types of the AS event.
