Fig. 5.

Comparison of phenotype and abnormal splicing of U12 introns in the u11/u12-31k, u11-48k, and u11/u12-65k mutant plants. (A) Growth-defect phenotypes of the u11/u12-31k (31k), u11-48k (48k), and u11/u12-65k (65k) mutant plants. Scale bar=1cm. (B) The splicing patterns of selected U12 intron-containing transcripts were analyzed by RT–PCR in wild type (WT), 31k, 48k, and 65k mutant plants. All primers used were designed to form base pairs with the 5' end of the first exon and the 3' end of the last exon in each gene. Identical results were obtained from three independent experiments, for which a representative example is shown. (C) Relative levels of spliced and unspliced transcripts of U12 intron-containing genes in the u11/u12-31k, u11-48k, and u11/u12-65k mutant plants were analyzed by quantitative real-time RT–PCR, and the levels of the unspliced forms relative to those of the spliced forms are expressed in each genotype. Data are the means ±SE obtained from three independent biological replicates. (This figure is available in colour at JXB online.)