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REVIEW article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Genetics, Epigenetics and Chromosome Biology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1452347
This article is part of the Research Topic Epigenetics, Transcriptomics and Epitranscriptomic – Deal With Old Friends or New Direction of Regulation? View all articles

Functions and Mechanisms of RNA Tailing by Nucleotidyl Transferase Proteins in Plants

Provisionally accepted
Xiaoyan Wang Xiaoyan Wang *Chen Jiwei Chen Jiwei Xiaozhen Li Xiaozhen Li Xianxin Dong Xianxin Dong
  • Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The addition of non-templated nucleotides at the 3' terminus of RNA is a pervasive and evolutionarily conserved posttranscriptional modification in eukaryotes. Apart from canonical poly(A) polymerases (PAPs), which are responsible for catalyzing polyadenylation of messenger RNAs in the nucleus, a distinct group of non-canonical PAPs (ncPAPs), also known as nucleotidyl transferase proteins (NTPs), mediate the addition of uridine and adenosine or of more intricate combinations of nucleotides. Among these, HEN1 SUPPRESSOR 1 (HESO1) and UTP: RNA URIDYLYLTRANSFERASE (URT1) are the two most extensively studied NTPs responsible for the addition of uridine to the 3' ends of RNAs (RNA uridylation). Recent discoveries have improved our understanding of the functions and mechanisms of uridylation mediated by HESO1 and URT1 in RNA metabolism. Furthermore, more NTPs have been identified to function in the 3' tailing of RNA and not solely through uridylation. Accumulating evidence indicates that RNA tailing plays important roles in plant growth and development, stress responses, and disease resistance. In this review, we examined the latest developments in RNA tailing by NTPs, with a focus on RNA uridylation and metabolism in plants. We also discussed the essential aspects for future research in this field.

    Keywords: Nucleotidyl transferase protein (NTP), uridylation, mRNAs, sRNA, RNA degradation, Arabidopsis

    Received: 20 Jun 2024; Accepted: 27 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Jiwei, Li and Dong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xiaoyan Wang, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.