The splicing auxiliary factor OsU2AF35a enhances thermotolerance via protein separation and promoting proper splicing of OsHSA32 pre-mRNA in rice.

ABSTRACT: Heat stress significantly impacts global rice production, highlighting the critical need to understand the genetic basis of heat resistance in rice. U2AF (U2 snRNP auxiliary factor) is an essential splicing complex with critical roles in recognizing the 3'-splice site of precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). The U2AF small subunit (U2AF35) can bind to the 3'-AG intron border and promote U2 snRNP binding to the branch-point sequences of introns through interaction with the U2AF large subunit (U2AF65). However, the functions of U2AF35 in plants are poorly understood. In this study, we discovered that the OsU2AF35a gene was vigorously induced by heat stress and could positively regulate rice thermotolerance during both the seedling and reproductive growth stages. OsU2AF35a interacts with OsU2

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11933845 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature