Functional consequences of splicing of the antisense transcript COOLAIR on FLC transcription

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Antisense transcription is widespread in many genomes; however, how much is functional is hotly debated. We are investigating functionality of a set of long noncoding antisense transcripts, collectively called COOLAIR, produced at Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). COOLAIR initiates just downstream of the major sense transcript poly(A) site and terminates either early or extends into the FLC promoter region. We now show that splicing of COOLAIR is functionally important. This was revealed through analysis of a hypomorphic mutation in the core spliceosome component PRP8. The prp8 mutation perturbs a cotranscriptional feedback mechanism linking COOLAIR processing to FLC gene body histone demethylation and reduced FLC transcription. The importance of COOLAIR splicing in this repression mechanism was confirmed by disrupting COOLAIR production and mutating the COOLAIR proximal splice acceptor site. Our findings suggest that altered splicing of a long noncoding transcript can quantitatively modulate gene expression through cotranscriptional coupling mechanisms.

Original languageEnglish
JournalMolecular Cell
Volume54
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)156-165
Number of pages10
ISSN1097-2765
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Arabidopsis, Arabidopsis Proteins, Dealkylation, Feedback, Physiological, Flowers, Gene Expression Regulation, Plant, Histones, MADS Domain Proteins, Mutation, RNA Splicing, RNA, Antisense, RNA, Long Noncoding, RNA-Binding Proteins, Seedlings, Time Factors, Transcription, Genetic, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

ID: 183164621