Alternative Splicing Enhances the Transcriptome Complexity of Liriodendron chinense

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Plant Science

Background:

• Alternative splicing (AS) is crucial for plant growth, development, and stress adaptation.
• Liriodendron chinense, a valuable deciduous tree, lacks comprehensive AS studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alternative splicing events in Liriodendron chinense.
• To analyze the impact of AS on gene expression and physiological processes.
• To explore the relationship between gene structure and AS patterns.

Main Methods:

• Hybrid sequencing of transcriptome data from seven L. chinense tissues.
• Bioinformatic analysis using multiple tools and algorithms.
• Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA).

Main Results:

• 17.56% of L. chinense genes undergo AS, resulting in 37,844 AS events.
• Intron retention is the most common AS event, affecting both protein-coding and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs).
• AS influences photosynthesis, metabolism, and is linked to gene features like exon/intron length and transcript length.

Conclusions:

• AS plays a significant role in L. chinense, affecting gene expression and physiological functions.
• Gene structure characteristics influence AS occurrence and type.
• This study provides the first comprehensive AS analysis in L. chinense, serving as a valuable reference.