Regulation of Pre-rRNA Processing in Plant: Mechanisms, Plasticity, and Developmental Implications

Area of Science:

• Plant molecular biology
• Genetics
• Epigenetics

Background:

• Ribosome biogenesis is crucial for plant growth, development, and adaptation.
• Precursor ribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) processing is a key regulatory step in ribosome biogenesis.
• Arabidopsis thaliana serves as a primary model system for studying these processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the multi-layered regulatory mechanisms controlling pre-rRNA processing in plants.
• To highlight the role of genomic organization and epigenetic regulation of ribosomal DNA (rDNA).
• To summarize pre-rRNA processing pathways, quality control systems, and their regulation under environmental stress.

Main Methods:

• Review of genetic and molecular evidence.
• Analysis of epigenetic regulation of rDNA.
• Examination of pre-rRNA processing pathways and quality control mechanisms.

Main Results:

• rDNA arrays exhibit genomic stability and enable tissue-specific expression of rDNA variants.
• Pre-rRNA processing pathways are dynamically regulated by environmental conditions.
• Quality control systems, including tailing and degradation, remove aberrant processing intermediates.
• Perturbations in pre-rRNA processing can lead to plant ribosomopathies.

Conclusions:

• Pre-rRNA processing is pivotal in orchestrating plant development.
• Mechanisms of ribosome homeostasis and heterogeneity help interpret developmental phenotypes.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate these complex regulatory networks.