Analysis of RNA helicases in P-bodies and stress granules

Cytoplasmic mRNA protein complexes (mRNPs) can assemble in granules, such as processing bodies (P-bodies) and stress granules (SGs). Both P-bodies and SGs contain repressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and proteins that regulate the fate of the mRNA. P-bodies contain factors involved in translation repression and mRNA decay; SGs contain a subset of translation initiation factors and mRNA-binding proteins. mRNAs cycle in and out of granules and can return to translation. RNA helicases are found in both P-bodies and SGs. These enzymes are prime candidates for facilitating the changes in mRNP structure and composition that may determine whether an mRNA is translated, stored, or degraded. This chapter focuses on the RNA helicases that localize to cytoplasmic granules. I outline approaches to define how the helicases affect the granules and the mRNAs within them, and I explain how analysis of cytoplasmic granules provides insight into physiological function and targets of RNA helicases.