EDEN-dependent translational repression of maternal mRNAs is conserved between Xenopus and Drosophila.
Translational control is a key level in regulating gene expression in oocytes and eggs because many mRNAs are synthesized and stored during oogenesis for latter use at various stages of oocyte maturation and embryonic development. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie this translational control is therefore crucial. Another important issue is the evolutionary conservation of these mechanisms--in other words the determination of their universal and specific aspects. We report here a comparative analysis of a translational repression mechanism that depends on the EDEN (embryo deadenylation element) element. This small cis-acting element, localized in the 3' untranslated region of c-mos and Eg mRNAs, was shown to be involved in a deadenylation process. We demonstrate here that in Xenopus embryos, mRNAs that contain an EDEN are translationally repressed. Next, transgenic flies were used to study the effect of the EDEN motif on translation in Drosophila oocytes. We show that this element also causes the translational repression of a reporter gene in Drosophila demonstrating that the EDEN-dependent translational repression is functionally conserved between Xenopus and Drosophila.
Ezzeddine
Nader
N
Institut de Génétique Humaine, Unité Propre de Recherche 1142, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, 34396 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
Paillard
Luc
L
Capri
Michele
M
Maniey
Dominique
D
Bassez
Therese
T
Ait-Ahmed
Ounissa
O
Osborne
H Beverley
HB
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004330:Drosophila; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007763:Lac Operon; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017231:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mos / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C110462:EDEN-specific RNA-binding protein, Xenopus; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C112134:AURKA protein, Xenopus; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017231:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mos; D001616:beta-Galactosidase