Seminars

The emergence of a plant vascular system was a prerequisite for the colonization of land;
however, it is unclear how the transporting system was established during plant evolution.
We have revealed new regulatory modules for vascular development involving zinc-finger
RNA-binding protein, JULGI and RNA G-quadruplex. RNA G-quadruplex affects RNA
splicing and export, RNA stability, translation and telomere homeostasis. JULGI binds to
single-strand G-rich elements, and induce formation of RNA G-quadruplex. The complex of
RNA G-quadruplex and zinc-finger protein regulates key developmental stages in plants,
especially phloem and lateral root development, and flowering. We propose that RNA
G-quadruplex induced by zinc-finger proteins is critical for growth and development of
vascular plants.