Importance of pre-mRNA splicing and its study tools in plants

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Genomics
• Plant Science

Background:

• Alternative splicing (AS) greatly expands the diversity of transcriptomes and proteomes in eukaryotes.
• Advancements in high-throughput sequencing continuously reveal novel transcript isoforms and splicing-related factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and compare splicing mechanisms in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
• To provide an overview of recent research on AS in plants during development and under abiotic stress.
• To discuss modern techniques for studying AS transcript and protein functions.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of splicing mechanisms.
• Literature review of plant AS studies across developmental stages and stress conditions.
• Discussion of omics techniques, genetic studies, and quantitative methods.

Main Results:

• AS plays a critical role in plant physiology, development, and adaptation to environmental changes.
• Numerous novel transcript isoforms and splicing factors have been identified in plants.
• Modern techniques enable detailed functional and quantitative analysis of AS events.

Conclusions:

• Integrating diverse methodologies enhances the discovery of novel AS isoforms and splicing factors.
• Understanding AS modes is key to comprehending plant biology and responses.
• Further research integrating genetic, quantitative, and omics approaches is vital.