ViPS Invited Seminar October 2020

Ildoo Hwang, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea

Date: 21st October 2020

Time: 13:00

Title: In vivo role of RNA G-quadruplex in plants



Location: Remotely via Zoom

Hosts: Ari-Pekka Mähönen & Ykä Helariutta

Abstract: RNA G-quadruplex structures are formed by G-rich sequences in vitro, and their high stability suggests their presence and biological functions in vivo. However, the existance of RNA G-quadruplex in living cells still remain questionable. Recently, we showed the evidence of RNA G-quadruplex formation in vivo. We found an evolutionally conserved regulatory module consisting of “an RNA binding protein’’ named JULGI and “G-quadruplex forming sequence located on SUPPRESSOR of MAX1-Like 5 (SMXL5) mRNA” for vascular development in plants. JULGI binds G-quadruplex forming sequence of SMXL5 mRNA and stabilizes the G-quadruplex structure and subsequently, inhibiting translation of SMXL5. JULGI also involves in target RNA decay. Taken together with in vivo profiling of RNA G-quadruplex, our results strongly indicate that JULGI and SMXL5 mRNA module presents biological function of G-quadruplex structures in vivo. We propose that plants evolutionally select G-quadruplex structure as important regulatory elements to regulate protein accumulation in plant growth and development.

Research in Ildoo Hwang's group is mainly in signal transduction of plant growth and development.

Read more about Ildoo Hwang's research

Related publications:

Cho H, Cho HS, Nam H, Jo H, Yoon J, Park C, Dang T, Kim E, Jeong J, Park S, Wallner S, Youn H, Park J, Jeon J, Ryu H, Greb T, Choi K, Lee Y, Jang SK, Ban C and Hwang I, 2018 Translational control of phloem development by RNA G-quadruplex/zinc-finger protein determines plant sink strength. Nature Plants 4:376–390

Han S, Cho H, Noh J, Qi J, Jung H, Nam H, Lee S, Hwang D, Greb T and Hwang I, 2018, BIL1-mediated phosphorylation of ARF5 integrates TDIF/TDR and cytokinin signaling into vascular cambial activity. Nature Plants 4:605–614

D Arnaud, Lee S, Y Takebayash, Choi D, Choi J, H Sakakibara and Hwang I, 2017, Cytokinin-Mediated Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species Homeostasis Modulates Stomatal Immunity in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell 29: 543-559

Ryu H, Cho H, Bae W and Hwang I, 2014, Control of early seedling development by BES1/TPL/HDA19-mediated epigenetic regulation of ABI3. Nature Communications 5, Article number: 4138

Cho H, Ryu H, Pho S, Hill K, Smith S, Audenaert D, Park J, Han S, Beechman T, Bennett M, Hwang D, Smet I and Hwang I, 2014, A secreted peptide acts on BIN2-mediated phosphorylation of ARFs to potentiate auxin response during lateral root development. Nature Cell Biology 16(1):66-76