mRNA localization is a common mode of posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression that targets a protein to its site of function.
[
Proteins are highly dependent on cellular environments for stability and function, therefore, mRNA localization signals are crucial for maintaining protein function. The Gurken localisation signal is an RNA regulatory element conserved across many species of '']Drosophila
''Drosophila'' () is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or (less frequently) pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species ...
''. The element consists of an RNA stem loop within the coding region
The coding region of a gene, also known as the coding sequence (CDS), is the portion of a gene's DNA or RNA that codes for protein. Studying the length, composition, regulation, splicing, structures, and functions of coding regions compared to no ...
of the messenger RNA
In molecular biology, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is a single-stranded molecule of RNA that corresponds to the genetic sequence of a gene, and is read by a ribosome in the process of synthesizing a protein.
mRNA is created during the p ...
that forms a signal for dynein
Dyneins are a family of cytoskeletal motor proteins that move along microtubules in cells. They convert the chemical energy stored in ATP to mechanical work. Dynein transports various cellular cargos, provides forces and displacements importa ...
-mediated Gurken mRNA transport to the dorsoanterior cap near the nucleus
Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to:
*Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom
*Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA
Nucle ...
of the oocyte
An oocyte (, ), oöcyte, or ovocyte is a female gametocyte or germ cell involved in reproduction. In other words, it is an immature ovum, or egg cell. An oocyte is produced in a female fetus in the ovary during female gametogenesis. The female ...
.
Mechanism of action
During ''Drosophila'' oogenesis, signaling between the germline
In biology and genetics, the germline is the population of a multicellular organism's cells that pass on their genetic material to the progeny (offspring). In other words, they are the cells that form the egg, sperm and the fertilised egg. They ...
and the soma
Soma may refer to:
Businesses and brands
* SOMA (architects), a New York–based firm of architects
* Soma (company), a company that designs eco-friendly water filtration systems
* SOMA Fabrications, a builder of bicycle frames and other bicycle ...
leads to the establishment of anterior-posterior polarity in the egg and the embryo. This process involves the interaction of gurken
mRNA localization is a common mode of posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression that targets a protein to its site of function.
Proteins are highly dependent on cellular environments for stability and function, therefore, mRNA localiza ...
(grk), a TGFα-like protein, with torpedo (top), the ''Drosophila'' epidermal growth factor receptor
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; ErbB-1; HER1 in humans) is a transmembrane protein that is a receptor for members of the epidermal growth factor family (EGF family) of extracellular protein ligands.
The epidermal growth factor recept ...
(EGFR).[ Localization of gurken RNA defines cell morphology by regulating the distribution of the gurken protein.][ Gurken mRNA transcripts which are not localized to the dorsal-anterior of an oocyte become silenced via post-translational modifications.]Polyadenylation
Polyadenylation is the addition of a poly(A) tail to an RNA transcript, typically a messenger RNA (mRNA). The poly(A) tail consists of multiple adenosine monophosphates; in other words, it is a stretch of RNA that has only adenine bases. In euk ...
of gurken transcripts occur throughout oogenesis; the length of the poly(A)
Polyadenylation is the addition of a poly(A) tail to an RNA transcript, typically a messenger RNA (mRNA). The poly(A) tail consists of multiple adenosine monophosphates; in other words, it is a stretch of RNA that has only adenine bases. In euka ...
tail determines the stage in oogenesis at which the gurken protein is adenylated.[ The gurken localization signal does not function properly if it is located in the 3' untranslated region.][
]
References
External links
*
Cis-regulatory RNA elements
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