title: Drosophila UNR is required for translational repression of male-specific lethal 2 mRNA during regulation of X-chromosome dosage compensation.
abstract: The inhibition of male-specific lethal 2 (msl-2) mRNA translation by the RNA-binding protein sex-lethal (SXL) is an essential regulatory step for X-chromosome dosage compensation in Drosophila melanogaster. The mammalian upstream of N-ras (UNR) protein has been implicated in the regulation of mRNA stability and internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent mRNA translation. Here we have identified the Drosophila homolog of mammalian UNR as a cofactor required for SXL-mediated repression of msl-2 translation. UNR interacts with SXL, a female-specific protein. Although UNR is present in both male and female flies, binding of SXL to uridine-rich sequences in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of msl-2 mRNA recruits UNR to adjacent regulatory sequences, thereby conferring a sex-specific function to UNR. These data identify a novel regulator of dosage compensation in Drosophila that acts coordinately with SXL in translational control.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Regulació Genómica (CRG-UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abaza
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.forename: Solenn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patalano
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gebauer
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C067777:Sxl protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C509278:UNR protein, Drosophila; C094166:msl-2 protein, Drosophila