title: Localized Translation of gurken/TGF-α mRNA during Axis Specification Is Controlled by Access to Orb/CPEB on Processing Bodies.
abstract: In Drosophila oocytes, gurken/TGF-α mRNA is essential for establishing the future embryonic axes. gurken remains translationally silent during transport from its point of synthesis in nurse cells to its final destination in the oocyte, where it associates with the edge of processing bodies. Here we show that, in nurse cells, gurken is kept translationally silent by the lack of sufficient Orb/CPEB, its translational activator. Processing bodies in nurse cells have a similar protein complement and ultrastructure to those in the oocyte, but they markedly less Orb and do not associate with gurken mRNA. Ectopic expression of Orb in nurse cells at levels similar to the wild-type oocyte dorso-anterior corner at mid-oogenesis is sufficient to cause gurken mRNA to associate with processing bodies and translate prematurely. We propose that controlling the spatial distribution of translational activators is a fundamental mechanism for regulating localized translation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, the University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, the University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Parton
authors.affiliation: Hubrecht Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Cell Biology, UMC Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rabouille
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. Electronic address: tw419@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Timothy T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, the University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK. Electronic address: ilan.davis@bioch.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009866:Oogenesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; C083730:grk protein, Drosophila; C089932:orb protein, Drosophila; C532748:Me31B protein, Drosophila; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases