Paula Duque Lab

Posttranscriptional regulation is crucial for accurate gene expression and largely governed by RNA-binding factors, such as the highly conserved serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins, which are major regulators of alternative splicing. Our recent work highlights Arabidopsis SR proteins as central hubs of a posttranscriptional network that controls development and stress tolerance during early plant growth. To unravel this network, we are employing a multidisciplinary approach to elucidate the molecular functions of these splicing factors and decipher the RNA code determining the activation or repression of stress signaling during the first steps of development, which are crucial for establishing a viable plant.

Another line of work in the lab is uncovering a broad role for Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) transporters in plant stress tolerance and gaining mechanistic insight into their modes of action. Despite standing as the largest known group of secondary active membrane transporters and being ubiquitous to all living organisms, the MFS remains poorly studied. Using reverse genetics in Arabidopsis, heterologous expression and complementation experiments in yeast, as well as transport assays in both systems, we are. revealing crucial MFS roles in a plant’s fitness to cope with some of the most pervasive forms of environmental stress, such as drought, soil mineral deficiencies or heavy metal contamination. Interestingly, the functional analysis of these membrane proteins has revealed striking examples of the biological impact of alternative splicing in plants.

• A splicing factor regulating seed size and stress response during germination. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Grant PTDC/ASP-PLA/2550/2021
• Characterization of a putative gibberellin exporter in arabidopsis and rice. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Grant 03584.PTDC
• Translational regulation of a plant heavy metal transporter by upstream Open Reading Frames (uORFs).Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Grant PTDC/ASP-PLA/6105/2020

• Díez AR, Szakonyi D, Lozano-Juste J, Duque P (2024) Alternative splicing as a driver of natural variation in ABA response. The Plant Journal 119: 9-27.
• Laloum T, Carvalho SD, Martín G, Richardson DN, Cruz TMD, Carvalho RF, Stecca KL, Kinney AJ, Zeidler M, Barbosa ICR, Duque P (2023) The SCL30a SR protein regulates ABA-dependent seed traits and germination under stress. Plant Cell & Environment 46(7): 2112-2127.
• Albuquerque-Martins R, Szakonyi D, Rowe J, Jones AM, Duque P (2023) ABA signaling prevents phosphodegradation of the SR45 splicing factor to alleviate inhibition of early seedling development in Arabidopsis. Plant Communications 4(2): 100495.
• Martín G, Duque P (2021) Tailoring Photomorphogenic Markers to Organ Growth Dynamics. Plant Physiology186(1): 239-249.
• Martín G, Márquez Y, Mantica F, Duque P, Irimia M (2021) Alternative splicing landscapes in Arabidopsis thaliana across tissues and stress conditions highlight major functional differences with animals. Genome Biology 22(1): 35.
• Niño-González M, Novo-Uzal E, Richardson DN, Barros PM, Duque P (2019) More transporters, more substrates: The arabidopsis Major Facilitator Superfamily revisited. Molecular Plant 12(9): 1182-1202.
• Laloum T, Martín G, Duque P (2018) Alternative splicing control of abiotic stress responses. Trends in Plant Science 23(2): 140-150.
• Remy E, Niño-González M, Godinho CP, Cabrito TR, Teixeira MC, Sá-Correia I, Duque P (2017) Heterologous expression of the yeast Tpo1p or Pdr5p membrane transporters in Arabidopsis confers plant xenobiotic tolerance. Scientific Reports 7: 4529.
• Carvalho RF, Szakonyi D, Simpson CG, Barbosa ICR, Brown JWS, Baena-González E, Duque P (2016) The Arabidopsis SR45 splicing factor, a negative regulator of sugar signaling, modulates SNF1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) stability. The Plant Cell 28(8): 1910-25.
• Remy E, Cabrito TR, Batista RA, Hussein MAM, Teixeira MC, Athanasiadis A, Sá-Correia I, Duque P (2014) Intron retention in the 5’UTR of the novel ZIF2 transporter enhances translation to promote zinc tolerance in Arabidopsis. PLoS Genetics 10(5): e1004375.

• Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF), University of Seville – CSIC, Spain (since 2024)
• Associate Editor for Plant Cell Biology, Frontiers in Plant Science (since 2020)
• Member of EMBO, European Molecular Biology Organization (since 2017)
• Member of the Editorial Board, Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group (since 2015)
• Member of the Executive Board, International PhD Program Plants for Life, ITQB-NOVA, Portugal (since 2014)
• Scientific Advisory Board, Plant-KBBE transnational funding initiative, FCT, Portugal (2013-2015)
• Council Member of the SPBP, Portuguese Society of Plant Biology (2013-2024)