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Drosophila Syncrip binds the gurken mRNA localisation signal and regulates localised transcripts during axis
Suzanne M McDermott1, Carine Meignin, Juri Rappsilber
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU , UK ; Present address: Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 307 Westlake Avenue N, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98109-5219, USA.
Biology Open
|December 6, 2012
Summary
Drosophila Syncrip protein is essential for localizing gurken and oskar mRNA in oocytes. This finding reveals Syncrip
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- mRNA transport and localized translation are crucial for Drosophila oocyte development and embryo patterning.
- The gurken (grk) mRNA encodes a TGF-α signal essential for specifying dorsal structures.
- grk mRNA localization to the dorso-anterior corner is mediated by a specific cis-acting sequence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To biochemically characterize the ribonucleoprotein complexes associated with the gurken mRNA localization signal.
- To identify novel proteins involved in mRNA localization and translational regulation in the Drosophila oocyte.
- To investigate the role of Drosophila Syncrip (dSyncrip) in mRNA localization and translational control.
Main Methods:
- GRNA chromatography was employed to isolate and analyze mRNA-protein complexes.
- Proteomic analysis was used to identify components of these complexes.
- Loss-of-function and overexpression studies in Drosophila egg chambers were performed to assess dSyncrip function.
Main Results:
- Identified known factors (Squid, Imp, Me31B, Exu) and a novel protein, Drosophila Syncrip (homologue of mammalian SYNCRIP/hnRNPQ).
- Drosophila Syncrip specifically binds to gurken and oskar mRNA, but not bicoid mRNA.
- dSyncrip is required for the correct localization and translational regulation of grk and osk mRNA.
Conclusions:
- Drosophila Syncrip is a newly identified factor essential for oskar and gurken mRNA localization and translational regulation in the oocyte.
- Syncrip/SYNCRIP is proposed to be part of a conserved complex involved in regulating localized transcripts in both flies and mammals.
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