Altered metal distribution in the sr45-1 Arabidopsis mutant causes developmental defects

Abstract

The plant SR (serine/arginine-rich) splicing factor SR45 plays important roles in several biological processes, such as splicing, DNA methylation, innate immunity, glucose regulation and ABA signaling. A homozygous Arabidopsis sr45-1 null mutant is viable, but exhibits diverse phenotypic alterations, including delayed root development, late flowering, shorter siliques with fewer seeds, narrower leaves and petals, and unusual numbers of floral organs. Here, we report that the sr45-1 mutant presents an unexpected constitutive iron deficiency phenotype characterized by altered metal distribution in the plant. RNA-Sequencing highlighted severe perturbations in metal homeostasis, phenylpropanoid pathway, oxidative stress responses, and reproductive development. Ionomic quantification and histochemical staining revealed strong iron accumulation in the sr45-1 root tissues accompanied by an iron starvation in aerial parts. We showed that some sr45-1 developmental abnormalities can be complemented by exogenous iron supply. Our findings provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms governing the phenotypes of the sr45-1 mutant. One sentence summaryThe sr45-1 mutation affects Fe homeostasis, which results in reproductive defects