SCR106 splicing factor modulates abiotic stress responses by maintaining RNA splicing in rice

Area of Science:

• Plant molecular biology
• Gene regulation
• Abiotic stress response

Background:

• Plants utilize complex molecular mechanisms for growth, development, and stress adaptation.
• Gene expression, involving transcription and splicing, controls cellular responses.
• Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are key regulators of pre-mRNA splicing, influencing gene expression diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize novel splicing factors in rice.
• To investigate the role of OsSCR106 in pre-mRNA splicing and abiotic stress responses.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which OsSCR106 functions.

Main Methods:

• Identification of a new SR protein-related factor, OsSCR106, in rice.
• Analysis of OsSCR106 localization within the nucleus (nuclear speckles).
• Phenotypic analysis of the loss-of-function scr106 mutant under various stress conditions (salt, ABA, low temperature).
• Complementation assays to confirm OsSCR106 function.
• Global gene expression and genome-wide splicing analyses.

Main Results:

• OsSCR106, containing an RNA recognition motif (RRM) and SR dipeptides, belongs to the SC subfamily.
• The scr106 mutant exhibits hypersensitivity to salt, abscisic acid, and low-temperature stress, along with developmental defects (shorter shoot/root).
• OsSCR106 function in stress tolerance was validated through complementation.
• OsSCR106 regulates target gene splicing, likely via alternative 3'-splice site control, impacting multiple splice isoforms under salt stress.

Conclusions:

• OsSCR106 is a vital splicing factor in rice, essential for accurate pre-mRNA splicing.
• OsSCR106 plays a critical role in mediating plant responses to abiotic stress.
• This study highlights OsSCR106 as a key regulator of stress adaptation through splicing modulation.