Complexity of the alternative splicing landscape in plants
Dr Yamile Marquez, of Max F. Perutz Laboratories in Vienna, will give this seminar entitled "Complexity of the alternative splicing landscape in plants" at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee.
Abstract
Transcriptome-wide analysis of alternative splicing (AS) using RNA sequencing has revealed that AS is common in plants. Pre-mRNAs from over 60% of intron-containing genes undergo AS to produce a vast repertoire of mRNA isoforms. The functions of most splice variants are unknown, but numerous examples show that splice variants increase the functional diversity of proteins. AS is also coupled to transcript stability and translation through nonsense-mediated decay and microRNA-mediated gene regulation. Widespread changes in AS in response to developmental cues and stresses suggest a role for regulated splicing in plant development and stress responses. The presentation will uncover the extent and complexity of the AS landscape in plants, its regulation, and the roles of AS in gene regulation.
Biography
Dr Yamile Marquez is using RNA sequencing to study the changing transcript profiles in plants, to understand the rules of alternative splicing regulation. She is in a rare position of having a strong proficiency in developing biological questions in the laboratory in combination with bioinformatic assembly and analyses of transcript profiles. This has led to her involvement in important publications that establish alternative splicing rules and define new highly conserved alternative splicing events. Alternative splicing is a key regulator of plant differentiation and response to their changing environment, particularly through the variable expression of a family of splicing factors. Dr Marquez is further investigating how alternative splicing impact the plant transcriptome under different stress conditions and the role of the different splicing factors in the determination and the regulation of the plant alternative splicing landscape.
This seminar will be hosted by Dr Craig Simpson, Cell and Molecular Sciences.
