title: A highly conserved cis-regulatory motif directs differential gonadal synexpression of Dmrt1 transcripts during gonad development.
abstract: Differential gene expression largely accounts for the coordinated manifestation of the genetic programme underlying embryonic development and cell differentiation. The 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of eukaryotic genes can contain motifs involved in regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In the 3'-UTR of dmrt1, a key gene that functions in gonad development and differentiation, an 11-bp protein-binding motif was identified that mediates gonad-specific mRNA localization during embryonic and larval development of fish. Mutations that disrupt the 11-bp motif leading to in vitro protein-binding loss and selective transcript stabilization failure indicate a role for this motif in RNA stabilization through protein binding. The sequence motif was found to be conserved in most of the dmrt1 homologous genes from flies to humans suggesting a widespread conservation of this specific mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Physiological Chemistry I, University of Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. amaury.herpin@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: Amaury
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herpin
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Toni U
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schartl
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006066:Gonads / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D009990:Oryzias / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D020871:RNA Stability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C110547:DMRT1 protein; D029941:Fish Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors