PCIS1, encoded by a pentatricopeptide protein co-expressed gene, is required for splicing of three mitochondrial nad transcripts in angiosperms.

Group II introns are large catalytic RNAs, which reside mainly within genes encoding respiratory complex I (CI) subunits in angiosperms' mitochondria. Genetic and biochemical analyses led to the identification of many nuclear-encoded factors that facilitate the splicing of the degenerated organellar introns in plants. Here, we describe the analysis of the PPR Co-expressed Intron Splicing1 (PCIS1) factor, which was identified in-silico by its co-expression pattern with many PPR proteins. PCIS1 is well conserved in land plants but has no sequence similarity with any known protein motifs. PCIS1 mutant lines are arrested in embryogenesis and can be maintained by the temporal expression of the gene under the embryo-specific ABI3 promoter. The pABI3::PCIS1 mutant plants display low germination and stunted growth phenotypes. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses of wild type and mutant plants indicated that PCIS1 is a novel splicing cofactor that is pivotal for the maturation of several nad transcripts in Arabidopsis mitochondria. These phenotypes are tightly associated with respiratory complex I defects and altered plant growth. Our data further emphasizes the key roles of nuclear-encoded cofactors that regulate the maturation and expression of mitochondrial transcripts for the biogenesis of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system, and hence for plant physiology. The discovery of novel splicing factors other than typical RNA-binding proteins suggests further complexity of splicing mechanisms in plant mitochondria.