Polyuridylylation and processing of transcripts from multiple gene minicircles in chloroplasts of the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae

Adrian C. Barbrook, Richard G. Dorrell, Jennifer Burrows, Lindsey J. Plenderleith, R. Ellen R. Nisbet, Christopher J. Howe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although transcription and transcript processing in the chloroplasts of plants have been extensively characterised, the RNA metabolism of other chloroplast lineages across the eukaryotes remains poorly understood. In this paper, we use RT-PCR to study transcription and transcript processing in the chloroplasts of Amphidinium carterae, a model peridinin-containing dinoflagellate. These organisms have a highly unusual chloroplast genome, with genes located on multiple small 'minicircle' elements, and a number of idiosyncratic features of RNA metabolism including transcription via a rolling circle mechanism, and 3′ terminal polyuridylylation of transcripts. We demonstrate that transcription occurs in A. carterae via a rolling circle mechanism, as previously shown in the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa, and present evidence for the production of both polycistronic and monocistronic transcripts from A. carterae minicircles, including several regions containing ORFs previously not known to be expressed. We demonstrate the presence of both polyuridylylated and non-polyuridylylated transcripts in A. carterae, and show that polycistronic transcripts can be terminally polyuridylylated. We present a model for RNA metabolism in dinoflagellate chloroplasts where long polycistronic precursors are processed to form mature transcripts. Terminal polyuridylylation may mark transcripts with the correct 3′ end. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)347-357
Number of pages11
JournalPlant Molecular Biology
Volume79
Issue number4-5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 5 2012
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledgements: We thank the Leverhulme Trust (F/09 641/F), the Isaac Newton Trust (University of Cambridge), and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology for financial support. R.G.D. was supported by a BBSRC PhD studentship, and C.J.H. by a University of South Australia Distinguished Researcher Award. We thank the anonymous referees for their helpful comments on the drafting of the manuscript.
This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.

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