Poster abstracts

Poster number 88 submitted by Denghui Xing

Arabidopsis polyadenylation factors PCFS4 and CLPS3 regulate FCA alternative polyadenylation and flowering time

Denghui Xing (Botany Department, Miami University), Hongwei Zhao (Botany Department, Miami University), Ruqiang Xu (Botany Department, Miami University), Qingshun Q. Li (Botany Department, Miami University)

Abstract:
PCF11 and CLP1 interacts with each other and are required for the 3’-end specific cleavage of pre-mRNA in yeast and human. The Arabidopsis genome possesses four PCF11-Similar proteins (PCFS1, PCFS2, PCFS4 and PCFS5) and two CLP1-Similar proteins (CLPS3 and CLPS5). In this study, we provide evidence that PCFS4 directly interacts with CLPS3 and formed complex with other polyadenylation factors in vivo. Intriguingly, in addition to the polyadenylation factors, two flowering time regulators FY and FCA were also found in the complex. FY and FCA interact with each other and are required for regulating the alternative polyadenylation of FCA pre-mRNA, and therefore the flowering time. Consistent with the physical links among PCFS4, CLPS3, FY and FCA, both the loss-of-function mutant pcfs4 and gain-of-function mutant clps3 showed altered flowering time and altered alternative polyadenylation pattern of FCA pre-mRNA. We therefore conclude that the polyadenylation apparatus was recruited to process FCA mRNA, likely through FCA.

Keywords: PCFS4, CLPS3, FCA Alternative polyadenylation