Different Patterns of mRNA Nuclear Retention during Meiotic Prophase in Larch Microsporocytes

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 22; no. 16; p. 8501
• Main Authors: Majewska, Karolina, Wróblewska-Ankiewicz, Patrycja, Rudzka, Magda, Hyjek-Składanowska, Malwina, Gołębiewski, Marcin, Smoliński, Dariusz Jan, Kołowerzo-Lubnau, Agnieszka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07-08-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Cajal bodies; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Cytoplasm; DNA-directed RNA polymerase; Gene expression; Gene regulation; Hypoxia; Introns; Larix - genetics; Larix - metabolism; Larix decidua Mill; Meiosis; Metabolism; mRNA nuclear retention; mRNP; Nuclei (cytology); Physiology; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Pollen - genetics; Pollen - metabolism; Post-transcription; Prophase; Protein synthesis; Proteins; retained introns; Retention; RNA Polymerase II - genetics; RNA Polymerase II - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA, Plant - genetics; RNA, Plant - metabolism; transcriptional noise; Transcriptomes; Cajal bodies; mRNA nuclear retention; mRNP; transcriptional noise; Larix decidua Mill; retained introns
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168501

Recent studies show a crucial role of post-transcriptional processes in the regulation of gene expression. Our research has shown that mRNA retention in the nucleus plays a significant role in such regulation. We studied larch microsporocytes during meiotic prophase, characterized by pulsatile transcriptional activity. After each pulse, the transcriptional activity is silenced, but the transcripts synthesized at this time are not exported immediately to the cytoplasm but are retained in the cell nucleus and especially in Cajal bodies, where non-fully-spliced transcripts with retained introns are accumulated. Analysis of the transcriptome of these cells and detailed analysis of the nuclear retention and transport dynamics of several mRNAs revealed two main patterns of nuclear accumulation and transport. The majority of studied transcripts followed the first one, consisting of a more extended retention period and slow release to the cytoplasm. We have shown this in detail for the pre-mRNA and mRNA encoding RNA pol II subunit 10. In this pre-mRNA, a second (retained) intron is posttranscriptionally spliced at a precisely defined time. Fully mature mRNA is then released into the cytoplasm, where the RNA pol II complexes are produced. These proteins are necessary for transcription in the next pulse to occur.mRNAs encoding translation factors and SERRATE followed the second pattern, in which the retention period was shorter and transcripts were rapidly transferred to the cytoplasm. The presence of such a mechanism in various cell types from a diverse range of organisms suggests that it is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of gene regulation.