Post-transcriptional control of gene expression and its role in plant responses to developmental and environmental cues

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Plant gene expression is regulated by environmental and developmental signals that plants receive throughout their lifetime. The regulation of gene expression often occurs after genes are transcribed into RNA, in a process called post-transcriptional control. This process can regulate various aspects of RNA metabolism in the cell, including the stability of RNAs, their specific localization, and their translation into protein. RNA-binding proteins are critical mediators of post-transcriptional control of gene expression. They can directly regulate their target RNAs, or they can recruit other proteins that assist in RNA regulation. The long-term goal of my research program is to better understand the role of RNA-binding proteins in post-transcriptional control in plant cells, and how this form of gene regulation modulates plant development and plant responses to environmental signals. The short-term objectives of my research program, as outlined in this proposal, are aimed at understanding the molecular, biochemical and cellular functions of three RNA-binding proteins in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). Two of these proteins belong to the PUF family of RNA-binding proteins. The other is a metabolic enzyme that possesses RNA binding activity. Because each of these proteins appear to have distinct roles in regulating the metabolism of RNAs, understanding how they work will provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of RNA-binding protein function in plant cells. ***This research will enhance our understanding of the roles of post-transcriptional gene regulation in plant development (i.e., root development) and in response to environmental cues (i.e., light, low oxygen, etc.). This could contribute to strategies aimed at enhancing crop plant performance by the selection or transgenic expression of post-transcriptionally regulated genes that encode mRNAs that are identified in this study. This research may also identify a method to engineer an advanced PUF protein backbone so that it can be used to target and manipulate specific cellular RNAs of interest.**