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The nucleoporin NUP160 and NUP96 regulate nucleocytoplasmic export of mRNAs and participate in ethylene signaling and response in Arabidopsis

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Abstract

Key message

Arabidopsis nucleoporin involved in the regulation of ethylene signaling via controlling of nucleocytoplasmic transport of mRNAs.

Abstract

The two-way transport of mRNAs between the nucleus and cytoplasm are controlled by the nuclear pore complex (NPC). In higher plants, the NPC contains at least 30 nucleoporins. The Arabidopsis nucleoporins are involved in various biological processes such as pathogen interaction, nodulation, cold response, flowering, and hormone signaling. However, little is known about the regulatory functions of the nucleoporin NUP160 and NUP96 in ethylene signaling pathway. In the present study, we provided data showing that the Arabidopsis nucleoporin NUP160 and NUP96 participate in ethylene signaling-related mRNAs nucleocytoplasmic transport. The Arabidopsis nucleoporin mutants (nup160, nup96-1, nup96-2) exhibited enhanced ethylene sensitivity. Nuclear qRT-PCR analysis and poly(A)-mRNA in situ hybridization showed that the nucleoporin mutants affected the nucleocytoplasmic transport of all the examined mRNAs, including the ethylene signaling-related mRNAs such as ETR2, ERS1, ERS2, EIN4, CTR1, EIN2, and EIN3. Transcriptome analysis of the nucleoporin mutants provided clues suggesting that the nucleoporin NUP160 and NUP96 may participate in ethylene signaling via various molecular mechanisms. These observations significantly advance our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of nucleoporin proteins in ethylene signaling and ethylene response.

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All the data are provided in Supplementary s1–s5.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Experimental Center of Qingdao Agricultural University for confocal microscopy support (Leica TCS SP5). This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (#31870255; #31370322); and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (#ZR2021MC020) to Y.Y.

Funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (#31870255; #31370322); and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (#ZR2021MC020) to Y.Y.

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  1. Yuanyuan Nie, Yang Li, Menghui Liu, Binran Ma, Xinying Sui and Jiacai Chen authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China

    Yuanyuan Nie, Yang Li, Menghui Liu, Binran Ma, Xinying Sui, Jiacai Chen, Yanchong Yu & Chun-Hai Dong

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  1. Yuanyuan Nie
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Contributions

YN conducted the experiments of ethylene sensitivity and transcriptome analysis, YL examined the mutant phenotype and ethylene responses, BM did qRT-PCR and DAPI staining imaging, XS performed the experiments of nuclear qRT-PCR, JC did in situ examination of mRNAs and part of nuclear qRT-PCR, ML did data analysis, YY worked on the manuscript revision, and CHD designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chun-Hai Dong.

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Communicated by Xian Sheng Zhang.

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Nie, Y., Li, Y., Liu, M. et al. The nucleoporin NUP160 and NUP96 regulate nucleocytoplasmic export of mRNAs and participate in ethylene signaling and response in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell Rep 42, 549–559 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-022-02976-6

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