title: The actin-binding protein Lasp promotes Oskar accumulation at the posterior pole of the Drosophila embryo.
abstract: During Drosophila oogenesis, Oskar mRNA is transported to the posterior pole of the oocyte, where it is locally translated and induces germ-plasm assembly. Oskar protein recruits all of the components necessary for the establishment of posterior embryonic structures and of the germline. Tight localization of Oskar is essential, as its ectopic expression causes severe patterning defects. Here, we show that the Drosophila homolog of mammalian Lasp1 protein, an actin-binding protein previously implicated in cell migration in vertebrate cell culture, contributes to the accumulation of Oskar protein at the posterior pole of the embryo. The reduced number of primordial germ cells in embryos derived from lasp mutant females can be rescued only with a form of Lasp that is capable of interacting with Oskar, revealing the physiological importance of the Lasp-Oskar interaction.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ritsuko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suyama
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jenny
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curado
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pellis-van Berkel
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ephrussi
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011485:Protein Binding; D021381:Protein Transport; D018909:src Homology Domains
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C533497:Lasp protein, Drosophila; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C091675:osk protein, Drosophila