DAZL relieves miRNA-mediated repression of germline mRNAs by controlling poly(A) tail length in zebrafish.
BACKGROUND
During zebrafish embryogenesis, microRNA (miRNA) miR-430 contributes to restrict Nanos1 and TDRD7 to primordial germ cells (PGCs) by inducing mRNA deadenylation, mRNA degradation, and translational repression of nanos1 and tdrd7 mRNAs in somatic cells. The nanos1 and tdrd7 3'UTRs include cis-acting elements that allow activity in PGCs even in the presence of miRNA-mediated repression.


RESULTS
Using a GFP reporter mRNA that was fused with tdrd7 3'UTR, we show that a germline-specific RNA-binding protein DAZ-like (DAZL) can relieve the miR-430-mediated repression of tdrd7 mRNA by inducing poly(A) tail elongation (polyadenylation) in zebrafish. We also show that DAZL enhances protein synthesis via the 3'UTR of dazl mRNA, another germline mRNA targeted by miR-430.


CONCLUSIONS
Our present study indicated that DAZL acts as an "anti-miRNA factor" during vertebrate germ cell development. Our data also suggested that miRNA-mediated regulation can be modulated on specific target mRNAs through the poly(A) tail control.
Takeda
Yasuaki
Y
Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
Mishima
Yuichiro
Y
Fujiwara
Toshinobu
T
Sakamoto
Hiroshi
H
Inoue
Kunio
K
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D008957:Models, Genetic; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011061:Poly A; D026723:Polyadenylation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D016914:Ribonuclease H / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C546118:DAZL protein, zebrafish; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C440015:nanos3 protein, zebrafish; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D011061:Poly A; D016914:Ribonuclease H