Molecular mechanism of alternative splicing regulation by phytochrome

• Project/Area Number: 16H04808
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUSHITA Tomonao 九州大学, 農学研究院, 准教授 (20464399)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥17,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,110,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥10,010,000 (Direct Cost: ¥7,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,310,000)
• Keywords: フィトクロム / 植物 / 光受容体 / 光応答 / 光シグナル伝達 / 選択的スプライシング / 遺伝子発現制御 / 環境応答 / 光生理学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Biological complexity relies on the diversity of the proteome, which can be increased beyond the number of genes. With alternative transcription start site (TSS), mRNAs are transcribed from different TSSs within a gene locus. Alternative TSS selection, evident in various organs, tissues, and cancer cells, can affect translational efficiency or stability of mRNA or alter the N-terminal lengths of the encoded proteins. However, the impact of this mechanism on the proteome and whether it is ubiquitously involved in normal organismal responses remain unclear. In this study, we show that the plant photoreceptor phytochrome induces genome-wide changes in alternative TSS selection in Arabidopsis thaliana. Through this mechanism, protein isoforms with different N-termini are produced that display light-dependent differences in localization.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] Academia Sinica(Taiwan)
• [Int'l Joint Research] KAIST(韓国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Lancaster University(英国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Lausanne(Switzerland)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Academia Suica(Taiwan)
• [Int'l Joint Research] KAIST(韓国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] Lancaster University(英国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] University of Lausanne(Switzerland)
• [Journal Article] Palisade cell shape affects the light-induced chloroplast movements and leaf photosynthesis (2018)
  • Author(s): Gotoh, E., N. Suetsugu, T. Higa, T. Matsushita, H. Tsukaya and M. Wada
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Pages: 1472-1472
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19896-9
  • NAID: 120006394740
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Light controls protein localization through phytochrome-mediated alternative promoter selection (2017)
  • Author(s): Ushijima T, Hanada K, Gotoh E, Yamori W, Kodama Y, Tanaka H, Kusano M, Fukushima A, Tokizawa M, Yamamoto YY, Tada Y, Suzuki Y, and Matsushita T
  • Journal Title: Cell Volume: 171 Issue: 6 Pages: 1316-1325
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.10.018
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Negative phototaxis in M. incognita (2017)
  • Author(s): Oota M, Gotoh E, Endo M, Ishida T, Matsushita T, and Sawa S
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Biology Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Pages: 12-16
  • DOI: 10.5539/ijb.v9n3p51
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Light controls protein localization through phytochrome-mediated alternative promoter selection (2018)
  • Author(s): Tomonao Matsushita
  • Organizer: International Symposium on Plant Photobiology 2018
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Light controls protein localization through phytochrome-mediated selection of transcription start sites (2017)
  • Author(s): Tomonao Matsushita
  • Organizer: 8th Asia and Oceania Conference on Photobiology
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Phytochrome globally modulates protein localization in Arabidopsis (2017)
  • Author(s): Tomonao Matsushita
  • Organizer: Taiwan-Japan Plant Biology 2017
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited