Messenger RNA on the move: implications for cell polarity

RNA sorting is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for establishing asymmetries within a given cell concerning the macromolecular equipment of defined domains. mRNAs as well as non-coding transcripts are delivered to specific subcellular compartments in diverse organisms including developmental systems of Drosophila, Xenopus, ascidiens, zebrafish and echinoderms and in differentiated cells from yeast to mammals. The composition of the RNA localization machinery is complex. Both sequence- or structural motifs within RNA molecules to be transported (cis-acting elements) and various proteins (trans-acting factors) contribute to the localization procedure. Most often these macromolecular ribonucleoprotein complexes exhibit a granular appearance, and granule localization depends on intact microfilaments or microtubules. When delivered to their ultimate destinations mRNAs are anchored to await translational activation at the appropriate timepoint. Beyond doubt, RNA localization plays a pivotal role in embryonic development, where mRNA mislocations cause severe body pattern defects. In terminally differentiated vertebrate cells RNA transport and local on-site translation presumably have an impact on various cellular functions such as cell motility, myelinization of nerve cell axons and nerve cell communications in the central and peripheral nervous system.