Abstract Detail

Comparative Genomics/Transcriptomics

Catlin, Nathan [1], Wing, Rod A. [2], Barbazuk, W. Brad [3].

Conserved alternative splicing across rapidly evolving taxa.

Alternative splicing (AS) is a pre-mRNA processing mechanism resulting in the production of multiple mRNA sequences from a single gene. AS is known to play significant roles in plant adaptation to varying climate pressures, stress responses, and protein expression regulation. Previous studies of AS have found broad scale event conservation, including an event found in all eukaryotes that controls RNA Polymerase III-based transcription. In addition, studies concerning AS conservation in plants have been reserved for broad scale comparisons, specifically those found across monocots and angiosperms. To date, no study has investigated the extent of AS conservation after recent speciation events, especially in loci suffering from incomplete lineage sorting. The clade Oryza is a prominent model for studying rapidly evolving species. The Asian clade within Oryza, most famously known for containing one of the world’s most important crop species (rice, Oryza sativa), has diverged from sister species within the past 550,000 years. Interestingly, AS conservation does not follow the underlying Oryza phylogeny, suggesting that AS within a species may diverge at a different rate than overall sequence divergence between sister species. Here, I will present the AS landscape for 9 species of Oryza, including the evolutionary significance of AS between recently diverged taxa. AS isoform counts range from 17,152 in O. sativa vg. indica to 47,564 in O. nivara, indicating a large variation of AS within the clade. Of the AS events predicted, 5,245 are found between at least 2 of the 9 species studied. The diversity of AS events and conservation within Oryza may ultimately effect protein synthesis, which may shed light into the overall differences in life-histories we see across the clade, including climactic adaptations and the differences of rice domesticates.

1 - University of Florida, Biology, 220 Batram Hall, P.O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611-8525, USA
2 - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
3 - University of Florida, Biology, 2033 Mowry Rd, 420E, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA

Keywords:
Alternative splicing
Oryza
rice
splice
splicing.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: CG1, Comparative Genetics/Genomics I
Location: Tucson I/Starr Pass
Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
Time: 9:00 AM
Number: CG1003
Abstract ID:816
Candidate for Awards:Margaret Menzel Award