title: Functional characterization of Drosophila Translin and Trax.
abstract: The vertebrate RNA and ssDNA-binding protein Translin has been suggested to function in a variety of cellular processes, including DNA damage response, RNA transport, and translational control. The Translin-associated factor X (Trax) interacts with Translin, and Trax protein stability depends on the presence of Translin. To determine the function of the Drosophila Translin and Trax, we generated a translin null mutant and isolated a trax nonsense mutation. translin and trax single and double mutants are viable, fertile, and phenotypically normal. Meiotic recombination rates and chromosome segregation are also not affected in translin and trax mutants. In addition, we found no evidence for an increased sensitivity for DNA double-strand damage in embryos and developing larvae. Together with the lack of evidence for their involvement in DNA double-strand break checkpoints, this argues against a critical role for Translin and Trax in sensing or repairing such DNA damage. However, Drosophila translin is essential for stabilizing the Translin interaction partner Trax, a function that is surprisingly conserved throughout evolution. Conversely, trax is not essential for Translin stability as trax mutants exhibit normal levels of Translin protein.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: Zhao-Yang
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Beat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Suter
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D019281:Dimerization; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D029721:Drosophila Proteins