Research Team Led by Professor Lee Byeong-ha of the Department of Life Science Elucidates Mechanisms of Plant Adaptation to High Temperatures – Paper Published in “The Plant Cell”
A research team led by Professor Lee Byeong-ha from the Department of Life Sciences at this university has elucidated the mechanism by which plants stably process genetic information and maintain growth even in high-temperature environments. This study was published online on July 3 in "The Plant Cell," a prestigious international journal in the field of plant life sciences, and was also registered in the "People Who Shine in Korea (Hanbitsa)" program by the Biological Research Information Center (BRIC).
For living organisms to synthesize proteins, information from DNA must first be transcribed into RNA, followed by a process called “RNA splicing,” in which unnecessary segments are removed and necessary segments are joined together. The research team revealed that the interaction between the STA1 and DOT2 proteins, which are involved in this process, forms “nuclear speckles,” small structures within the cell nucleus crucial for RNA splicing, and plays a key role in maintaining accurate splicing.
In particular, the study found that at high temperatures, the binding between STA1 and DOT2 weakens and the formation of nuclear speckles is inhibited, leading to an increase in RNA splicing errors that affect plant growth and adaptation to heat stress. This research is expected to serve as foundational data for understanding the molecular mechanisms by which plants respond to heatwaves and for the future development of heat-tolerant crops.
▶Paper Title: The STA1–DOT2 interaction promotes nuclear speckle formation and splicing robustness in growth and heat stress responses
Journal: The Plant Cell (Top 2.09% in JCR field, Impact Factor 13.5)
▶논문 링크: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag207
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag207
▶BRIC Hanbitsa: https://www.ibric.org/bric/hanbitsa/researcher.do?mode=view&srAuthorId=52985
[SEO Keyword]
The Plant Cell, Plant Heat Stress Adaptation Mechanism, STA1-DOT2 Nuclear Speckles Splicing
For living organisms to synthesize proteins, information from DNA must first be transcribed into RNA, followed by a process called “RNA splicing,” in which unnecessary segments are removed and necessary segments are joined together. The research team revealed that the interaction between the STA1 and DOT2 proteins, which are involved in this process, forms “nuclear speckles,” small structures within the cell nucleus crucial for RNA splicing, and plays a key role in maintaining accurate splicing.
In particular, the study found that at high temperatures, the binding between STA1 and DOT2 weakens and the formation of nuclear speckles is inhibited, leading to an increase in RNA splicing errors that affect plant growth and adaptation to heat stress. This research is expected to serve as foundational data for understanding the molecular mechanisms by which plants respond to heatwaves and for the future development of heat-tolerant crops.
▶Paper Title: The STA1–DOT2 interaction promotes nuclear speckle formation and splicing robustness in growth and heat stress responses
Journal: The Plant Cell (Top 2.09% in JCR field, Impact Factor 13.5)
▶논문 링크: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag207
Paper Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag207
▶BRIC Hanbitsa: https://www.ibric.org/bric/hanbitsa/researcher.do?mode=view&srAuthorId=52985
[SEO Keyword]
The Plant Cell, Plant Heat Stress Adaptation Mechanism, STA1-DOT2 Nuclear Speckles Splicing