Afnan Abed Alnefaie

Dr. Afnan Abed Alnefaie


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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28 July 2025 in Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution
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Journal Article
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HWHafiz Muhammad Waqas
Hafiz Muhammad Waqas
MSMuhammad Abu Bakar Saddique
Muhammad Abu Bakar Saddique
SFSajid Fiaz
Sajid Fiaz
AAAfnan Abed Alnefaie
Afnan Abed Alnefaie
MSMuhammad Ali Sher
Muhammad Ali Sher
Seung Hwan YangSeung Hwan Yang
Seung Hwan Yang

23 September 2026 in Russian Journal of Plant Physiology
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Journal Article
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AAAfnan Abed Alnefaie
Afnan Abed Alnefaie
RNA editing is a major post-transcriptional process in plant organelles that frequently alters coding sequences and can influence mitochondrial gene function. However, organ-resolved RNA editing in mitochondrial nad transcripts remains poorly characterized in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don, despite the biological importance of these Complex I genes and prior evidence for organ-dependent organellar editing in this species. This study analyzed RNA editing in mitochondrial nad transcripts across six C. roseus organs: flower, stem, leaf, hairy root, root, and seedling. Editing-site distribution, novel editing events, organ-shared and organ-differentiated sites, amino acid conversions, silent sites, and qRT-PCR validation of selected nad9 editing sites were assessed. A total of 442 organ-specific editing events were identified across all organs, with the highest number in hairy root (97; 21.95%) and the lowest in seedling (52; 11.76%). These events corresponded to 108 unique editing sites distributed among the nad genes. Whereas nad5 (24 sites), nad1 (20), and nad2 (19) contributing most of the novel events. Figure-based analysis showed 24 sites shared across all organs and 88 organ-differentiated sites, indicating that variable editing predominated over constitutive editing. Editing-induced amino acid changes totaled 108 events, whereas only four sites were silent; the most frequent substitutions were Ser → Phe and Pro → Leu, each accounting for 22.22% of all amino acid conversions. qRT-PCR validation confirmed marked site-specific variation in nad9 editing, with C92 showing consistently high editing and C167, C298, and C368 showing stronger organ dependence. Mitochondrial nad RNA editing in C. roseus is extensive, organ specific, and predominantly protein altering, with nad5 representing the principal editing hotspot. These findings identify RNA editing as a major layer of post-transcriptional regulation in the mitochondrial Complex I transcript set of C. roseus.