Conference Agenda
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Daily Overview |
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CP18: Cells, Molecules & Genes 3 - 10 min talks Location: Lecture Theatre 1 Session Chair: Shilpa Kapoor, The University of Melbourne Session Chair: Balu Balan, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute | |
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Insights into the “eukaryotic-emerged” spliceosome and spliceosomal introns in early-diverging protist pathogen Giardia duodenalis 1: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Department of Infection and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 2: The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Science, Melbourne Veterinary School, Victoria, Australia Alternative splicing is a major mediator of eukaryotic gene expression, operating co-transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally to influence cellular function, development, and differentiation. During alternative splicing, trans-acting factors interact with cis-elements within pre-mRNA transcripts to produce divergent proteoforms. In eukaryotes, mosttrans-acting factors work in conjunction as the spliceosome, a dynamic ribonucleoprotein complex comprised of catalytic RNAs and hundreds of proteins. Previous studies sought to comprehend the intricate mechanisms of the spliceosome within a simplistic system, utilising the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, there exists a eukaryote more basal than yeast – Giardia duodenalis, an intron-poor enteric parasite, evolved over 500 million years earlier. Our bioinformatic analyses indicated that splicing proteins in Giardia are minimal, both in number and structure. This raises the question: In deeply-branching eukaryotes such as Giardia, does splicing occur spliceosomally or via a more primordial method? To understand the system of splicing in Giardia, we conducted an in vitro splicing assay involving both conventional and chimeric intron-containing transcripts. In parallel, we established a nuclear proteome to locate and validate the suite of Giardia splicing proteins. By implementing a multiomic approach, our study offers a glimpse into the origins and evolution of alternative splicing following the inception of eukaryotic life. | |