Highways for mRNA transport.
Two new studies reveal the role of microtubule polarity in the asymmetric localization of mRNAs. In this issue of Cell, Zimyanin et al. (2008) show that the asymmetric localization of oskar mRNA in fruit fly oocytes results from a slight bias in the direction of its transport. Meanwhile, Messitt et al. (2008) reporting in Developmental Cell find a subpopulation of microtubules that is critical for the asymmetric distribution of Vg1 mRNA in frog oocytes.
Singer
Robert H
RH
Departments of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Cell Biology, and Neuroscience, Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D034443:RNA Transport; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C513103:GDF1 protein, Xenopus; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C091675:osk protein, Drosophila
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