TY - JOUR
AU - Lehmann, Ruth
AB - LOCALIZATION of the maternally synthesized nanos (nos) RNA to the posterior pole of the Drosophila embryo provides the source for a posterior-to-anterior gradient of Nos protein1,2. Correct spatial regulation of nos activity is essential for normal pattern formation. High local concentrations of Nos protein in the posterior of the embryo are necessary to inhibit translation of the transcription factor Hunchback in this region3,4, and thus permit expression of genes required for abdomen formation (see ref. 5 for review). By contrast, misexpression of Nos protein at the anterior of the embryo prevents translation of the anterior morphogen Bicoid, suppressing head and thorax development1,6–9. Posterior localiza-tion of nos RNA is mediated by sequences within the nos 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) 1 and requires the function of eight genes of the 'posterior group'2,6. Although the unlocalized nos RNA is stable in embryos from females mutant for any of the posterior group genes, these embryos appear to lack nos activity because they develop the abdominal defects characteristic of embryos pro-duced by nos mutant females2,6,10–14. We report here that unlocal-ized nos RNA is translationally repressed. Translational repression is mediated by the nos 3′UTR and can be alleviated either by replacement of the 3′UTR with heterologous 3′UTR sequences or by posterior localization. Thus, RNA localization provides a novel mechanism for translational regulation.
TI - Translational regulation of nanos by RNA localization
JF - Nature
DO - 10.1038/369315a0
DA - 1994-05-26
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/springer-journals/translational-regulation-of-nanos-by-rna-localization-ht7e8hurHl
SP - 315
EP - 318
VL - 369
IS - 6478
DP - DeepDyve
ER -