Salinity effects on nad3 gene RNA editing of wild barley mitochondria

Nad complex plays a very important role during cellular respiration. nad3 (nad dehydrogenase subunit 3) is one of the biggest subunits in this complex. Four cDNAs of nad3 gene were characterized in Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum at exposed to four periods of 500 mM salinity, 0 h or control (accession no. MN066165), after 2 h (accession no. MN066166), after 12 h (accession no. MN066167) and after 24 h (accession no. MN066168) using RNA-seq raw data. Seventeen RNA editing sites were found in positions (or nucleotide nos. C5, C39, C44, C61, C62, C79, C80, C147, C185, C190, C191, C208, C209, C275, C317, C344, C349) within the nad3 coding region. These alterations represent differential editing at four exposure times. The maximum editing rate was revealed 2 and 12 h after salinity exposure. However, these edits were disrupted after 24 h probably due to the initiation of program cell death machinery. We found that RNA editing not only improved protein function but also may improve codon bias by altering the nucleotide without any change in amino acid. Characterization of pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein At4g13650 (PPRSp1) in wild barley helped us to understand the behavior of editing sites C190 and C191 under salinity. Position - 6 in cis-element upstream editing sites of C155, C190 and C191 may be vital to the editing process in these sites by PPRSp1 protein. The differential editing of this gene under salinity led to a relationship between RNA editing and cellular respiration regulation.