| Abstract Detail
Genetics Section Zhang, Peter [1], Huang, Suzanne [1], Pin, Anne-Laure [1], Adams, Keith [1]. Rapid divergence in alternative splicing patterns following gene and genome duplication. Polyploidy and alternative splicing are two important processes that increase proteome diversity in plants – polyploidization doubles the copy number of all genes whereas alternative splicing of one pre-mRNA can lead to different mature mRNA molecules and therefore to different proteins. There are about 2,600 gene pairs in Arabidopsis thaliana that remain from the most recent paleopolyploidization event that occurred around 30 million years ago. We are interested in the differences and changes of alternative splicing between the genes in a pair and the evolution of alternative splicing after genome duplication. We identified duplicated genes with putative alternative splicing by comparing cDNA and genomic sequences. To verify alternative splicing of those genes, RT-PCR was used to examine the differences among cDNAs from eight different organs for both genes of 50 gene pairs. For most genes, differences in splicing patterns were found between the gene pairs duplicated by paleopolyploidy in A. thaliana. These differences include presence/absence of particular splicing patterns or distinct organ specificity. Through three different abiotic stress experiments, we found that alternative splicing patterns in those paleologous pairs respond differently to stress. In addition we examined alternative splicing patterns in several sets of tandemly duplicated genes. Alternative splicing was conserved in only about 20% of the gene pairs. Our results indicate that alternative splicing is a rapidly evolving process that is poorly conserved between duplicated gene pairs.
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1 - University of British Columbia, Botanical Garden, Centre for Plant Research, and Botany Department, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada
Keywords:
polyploidy
gene duplication
alternative splicing
abiotic stress
Brassicaceae.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Ball Room & Party Room/SUB
Date: Monday, July 28th, 2008
Time: 12:30 PM
Number: PGN010
Abstract ID:764 |
