Nitric Oxide-mediated S-nitrosylation of the Energy Sensor KIN10 Regulates RNA Splicing and Gene Expression in Arabidopsis

Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial signaling molecule involved in various developmental processes and stress responses through post-translational protein modification and modulation of gene expression. Despite significant advances in understanding the mechanism of NO-mediated protein modifications, how NO regulates gene expression remains largely unclear. Here, we show that the energy sensor KIN10, a catalytic α-subunit of sucrose non-fermenting 1-related kinase 1, plays a vital role in NO-mediated regulation of gene expression in Arabidopsis. NO-mediated S-nitrosylation at Cys-177 of KIN10 inhibits its degradation, leading to protein stabilization. A non-nitrosylatable mutation of Cys-177 to serine results in NO insensitivity and functional deficiencies. Quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis reveals that S-nitrosylation at Cys-177 of KIN10 modulates the phosphorylation of splicing factors within the spliceosome. We propose that NO regulates RNA splicing through the enhancement of KIN10 activity via S-nitrosylation, thereby establishing a molecular link between NO signaling and gene expression.