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Histones: sequestered by Jabba in fatty storehouse
William F Marzluff1, Deirdre C Tatomer
1Department of Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 208 Fordham Hall, Campus Box # 7100, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. marzluff@med.unc.edu
Current Biology : CB
|November 24, 2012
Summary
Drosophila embryos store histones H2a and H2b in lipid droplets with the Jabba protein. Mutant embryos lacking Jabba degrade these histones but survive by using stored histone messenger RNA.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Histones are crucial for DNA packaging and gene regulation.
- Histone availability is critical during early embryonic development.
- Lipid droplets are known storage sites for various molecules.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the storage mechanisms of histones H2a and H2b in Drosophila embryos.
- To understand the role of the protein Jabba in histone regulation.
- To explore compensatory mechanisms for histone loss during development.
Main Methods:
- Immunofluorescence microscopy to visualize histone and Jabba localization.
- Analysis of histone and mRNA levels in wild-type and mutant Drosophila embryos.
- Genetic manipulation of the Jabba protein in Drosophila.
Main Results:
- Histones H2a and H2b were found to be stored in lipid droplets in complex with Jabba.
- In Jabba mutant embryos, histones H2a and H2b were significantly degraded.
- Embryos lacking functional Jabba compensated for histone degradation by translating stored histone mRNA.
Conclusions:
- Lipid droplets serve as a storage depot for histones H2a and H2b in Drosophila embryos.
- The protein Jabba plays a key role in stabilizing these histones within lipid droplets.
- Drosophila embryos possess a robust mechanism to ensure histone supply through mRNA translation when direct storage is compromised.
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