title: Drosophila Squid/hnRNP helps Dynein switch from a gurken mRNA transport motor to an ultrastructural static anchor in sponge bodies.
abstract: In Drosophila oocytes, dorso-anterior transport of gurken mRNA requires both the Dynein motor and the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) Squid. We show that gurken transcripts are transported directly on microtubules by Dynein in nonmembranous electron-dense transport particles that also contain Squid and the transport cofactors Egalitarian and Bicaudal-D. At its destination, gurken mRNA is statically anchored by Dynein within large electron-dense cytoplasmic structures known as sponge bodies. Egalitarian and Bicaudal-D contribute only to active transport, whereas Dynein and Squid are also required for gurken mRNA anchoring and the integrity of sponge bodies. Disrupting Dynein function disperses gurken mRNA homogeneously throughout the cytoplasm, whereas the loss of Squid function converts the sponge bodies into active transport particles. We propose that Dynein acts as a static structural component for the assembly of gurken mRNA transport and anchoring complexes, and that Squid is required for the dynamic conversion of transport particles to sponge bodies.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Michael Swann Building, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Renald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delanoue
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herpers
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soetaert
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rabouille
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D004398:Dyneins / Q000502:physiology*; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D034443:RNA Transport; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C061998:BicD protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; C104613:egl protein, Drosophila; C083730:grk protein, Drosophila; D004398:Dyneins