Distribution, Conservation, and Expression of Key Splicing Components in Sugarcane and Other Grasses

This project aims to identify and characterize the gene repertoire associated with the spliceosome, a ribonucleoprotein complex responsible for pre-mRNA processing and transcriptomic diversity through alternative splicing. Using comparative genomics approaches across grass species, the study investigates the conservation, expansion, and retention of spliceosomal genes, with particular emphasis on the genus Saccharum. In addition, gene expression analyses and protein structural modeling are employed to investigate the expression patterns of spliceosomal components and potential structural variation in regulatory protein families, including SR proteins and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs).