Post-transcriptional control of slam in early Drosophila embryos

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Gene expression is largely controlled on the level of transcription. During recent years, it has become evident that many mRNAs are subject to posttranscriptional regulation, such as spatiotemporal regulation of translation and specific subcellular localization. Many mRNAs have been found in specific cytoplasmic RNA protein complexes, whose functions are largely unknown. We investigate mechanism of posttranscriptional regulation in the early Drosophila embryo with the essential gene “slam” as an example. slam is special in that slam mRNA co-localizes at the basal domain, binds to and functionally interacts with its own encoded protein. The protein is able to localize independent of the RNA and is assumed to recruit slam RNA for local translation. With the proposed research project, the mechanism of the functional interaction between slam Protein and RNA will be analyzed by mapping of the sites on RNA and protein required for localization, for efficient translation and for RNA-protein interaction. With specific reporter constructs we will reveal the spatio-temporal pattern of the first round of translation and appearance of nascent peptides. Furthermore, we will analyze candidate genes for translational regulation, i. e. FMR1 and Caprin. Both genes give rise to a mutant phenotype comparable to weak slam alleles, suggesting a function related to slam.