Characterization of a gametophyte-specific splicing factor network in relation to its sporophytic counterpart: Implications for cell specification mechanisms

在植物中，剪接因子Snu114的缺陷导致额外卵细胞的形成，目前尚不清楚剪接体的组成部分如何导致这种特定的发育缺陷。在酵母中，Snu114调节解旋酶Brr2，从而触发剪接体的激活。Snu114的功能，反过来，取决于它与PRP8，剪接体的U5亚基的核心蛋白的相互作用。有趣的是，这组相互作用的基因在植物中是独特的复制，而第二组基因在配子体组织中特异性表达。我们的研究结果表明，植物特异性分化的剪接体，可能作为一种适应的配子体的单倍体性质。该提案的目标是描述配子体特异性剪接因子网络，分析其与孢子体对应物的关系，并指定与调节细胞命运决定的机制的连接。我们希望通过我们的工作表明，剪接体是一种模块化结构，可以指导发育决策。因此，我们的研究将是潜在的利益和受益于所有科学家的生物系统的发展方面的工作。

In plants, defects in the splicing factor Snu114 lead to the formation of supernumerary egg cells, and it is not clear, how an integral component of the spliceosome can cause such a specific developmental defect. In yeast, Snu114 regulates the helicase Brr2, thereby triggering the activation of the spliceosome. Snu114 function, in turn, depends on its interaction with PRP8, a core protein of the U5 subunit of the spliceosome. Intriguingly, this set of interacting genes is uniquely duplicated in plants with the second set being specifically expressed in gametophytic tissue. Our results suggest a plant specific differentiation of the spliceosome, possibly as an adaptation to the haploid nature of the gametophytes. The goal of this proposal is to characterize the gametophytic-specific splicing factor network, to analyze the relation to its sporophytic counterpart, and to specify the connection to mechanisms that regulate cell fate decisions. We hope to show with our work that the spliceosome is a modular structure that can direct developmental decisions. Our research will thus be of potential interest and benefit to all scientists working on developmental aspects of biological systems.