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Published on: June 27, 2013
Temporal and spatial control of germ-plasm RNAs
Prashanth Rangan1, Matthew DeGennaro, Kean Jaime-Bustamante
1HHMI and Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine of the Skirball Institute, Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|December 27, 2008
Summary
Maternal RNAs in germ plasm are localized by 3' untranslated regions (UTRs), controlling their translation timing. This RNA localization and translational control is crucial for germ cell development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Germ cells develop from a germ plasm containing localized maternal RNAs that encode essential components.
- RNA localization is linked to translational control, suggesting a regulatory role in germ cell development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the role of RNA localization and translational control in germ plasm.
- To determine how 3 -untranslated regions (UTRs) influence RNA localization and translation timing.
Main Methods:
- Assembled a comprehensive set of RNAs localized to polar granules.
- Analyzed the function of 3 -UTRs in controlling RNA localization and temporal translation.
- Performed UTR swapping experiments between polar granule component (pgc) and nanos RNAs.
Main Results:
- All tested RNAs' 3 -UTRs controlled localization and instructed distinct temporal translation patterns.
- 3 -UTR mediated translational regulation fine-tunes the temporal expression of localized RNAs.
- Translational activation of pgc involves poly(A) tail extension and is largely independent of ORB.
Conclusions:
- 3 -UTRs play a critical role in regulating the timing of translation for localized RNAs in germ cells.
- This mechanism of 3 -UTR mediated translational regulation may serve as a paradigm for other localized RNAs in different cell types.
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