A methyl transferase links the circadian clock to the regulation of alternative splicing

Oct 22, 2010Nature

A methyl transferase connects the body’s daily clock to the control of gene splicing

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Abstract

Mutations in PRMT5 impair several circadian rhythms in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PRMT5 links the circadian clock to alternative splicing in plants.
Altered splicing of the core-clock gene PSEUDO RESPONSE REGULATOR 9 (PRR9) contributes to the circadian rhythm impairment.
PRMT5 is involved in regulating numerous pre-messenger-RNA splicing events, likely by affecting 5'-splice-site recognition.
PRMT5 expression exhibits daily and circadian oscillations, influencing gene expression and alternative splicing.
Similar disruptions in circadian rhythms are observed in a Drosophila mutant affecting the PRMT5 homologue, linked to altered splicing of clock genes.

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Circadian rhythms allow organisms to time biological processes to the most appropriate phases of the day-night cycle. Post-transcriptional regulation is emerging as an important component of circadian networks, but the molecular mechanisms linking the circadian clock to the control of RNA processing are largely unknown. Here we show that PROTEIN ARGININE METHYL TRANSFERASE 5 (PRMT5), which transfers methyl groups to arginine residues present in histones and Sm spliceosomal proteins, links the circadian clock to the control of alternative splicing in plants. Mutations in PRMT5 impair several circadian rhythms in Arabidopsis thaliana and this phenotype is caused, at least in part, by a strong alteration in alternative splicing of the core-clock gene PSEUDO RESPONSE REGULATOR 9 (PRR9). Furthermore, genome-wide studies show that PRMT5 contributes to the regulation of many pre-messenger-RNA splicing events, probably by modulating 5'-splice-site recognition. PRMT5 expression shows daily and circadian oscillations, and this contributes to the mediation of the circadian regulation of expression and alternative splicing of a subset of genes. Circadian rhythms in locomotor activity are also disrupted in dart5-1, a mutant affected in the Drosophila melanogaster PRMT5 homologue, and this is associated with alterations in splicing of the core-clock gene period and several clock-associated genes. Our results demonstrate a key role for PRMT5 in the regulation of alternative splicing and indicate that the interplay between the circadian clock and the regulation of alternative splicing by PRMT5 constitutes a common mechanism that helps organisms to synchronize physiological processes with daily changes in environmental conditions.

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A methyl transferase links the circadian clock to the regulation of alternative splicing

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