Regulation of mRNA Metabolism Is Essential for Plant Development and Regeneration

June 15, 2013

Researchers from RIKEN CSRS and the University of Tokyo have discovered that regulation of RNA metabolism is critical for specific aspects of plant development. Researchers found that the process of removing introns (gene regions that do not encode protein sequences), called pre-mRNA splicing, plays a major role in dedifferentiation, regeneration and development of plants. This research finding could lead to higher efficiency in plant tissue cultures. Furthermore, by suggesting target molecules for modification, it also offers possibilities for technical improvement of plant biotechnologies.

Original article

Plant Cell doi: 10.1105/tpc.113.111922

M. Ohtani, T. Demura, M. Sugiyama,

"Arabidopsis ROOT INITIATION DEFECTIVE 1, a DEAH-box RNA helicase involved in pre-mRNA splicing, is essential for plant development".

Contact

Taku Demura: Team Leader

Misato Ohtani: Research Scientist

Cellulose Production Research Team, Biomass Engineering Program Cooperation Division