Description:
<jats:title>Summary</jats:title><jats:p>Pre‐messenger <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RNA</jats:styled-content> (pre‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">mRNA</jats:styled-content>) splicing is essential in eukaryotic cells. In animals and yeasts, the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">DEAH</jats:styled-content>‐box <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">RNA</jats:styled-content>‐dependent <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ATP</jats:styled-content>ase Prp16 mediates conformational change of the spliceosome, thereby facilitating pre‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">mRNA</jats:styled-content> splicing. In yeasts, Prp16 also plays an important role in splicing fidelity. Conversely, <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PRP</jats:styled-content>16</jats:italic> orthologs in <jats:italic>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</jats:italic> and nematode do not have an important role in general pre‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">mRNA</jats:styled-content> splicing, but are required for gene silencing and sex determination, respectively. Functions of <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PRP</jats:styled-content>16</jats:italic> orthologs in higher plants have not been described until now. Here we show that the <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CLUMSY VEIN</jats:styled-content></jats:italic> (<jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CUV</jats:styled-content></jats:italic>) gene encoding the unique Prp16 ortholog in <jats:italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</jats:italic> facilitates auxin‐mediated development including male‐gametophyte transmission, apical–basal patterning of embryonic and gynoecium development, stamen development, phyllotactic flower positioning, and vascular development. <jats:italic>cuv‐1</jats:italic> mutation differentially affects splicing and expression of genes involved in auxin biosynthesis, polar auxin transport, auxin perception and auxin signaling. The <jats:italic>cuv‐1</jats:italic> mutation does not have an equal influence on pre‐<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">mRNA</jats:styled-content> substrates. We propose that Arabidopsis <jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PRP</jats:styled-content>16</jats:italic>/<jats:italic><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">CUV</jats:styled-content></jats:italic> differentially facilitates expression of genes, which include genes involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, perception and signaling, thereby collectively influencing auxin‐mediated development.</jats:p>