Post-transcriptional control of slam in early Drosophila embryos

基因表达在很大程度上是在转录水平上控制的。近年来，许多mRNA都受到转录后调控，如翻译的时空调控和特异性亚细胞定位。许多mRNA已被发现在特定的细胞质RNA蛋白复合物，其功能在很大程度上是未知的。本文以果蝇胚胎发育过程中的关键基因slam为例，探讨其转录后调控机制。slam特异性在于slam mRNA共定位于基底结构域，结合到其自身编码的蛋白质并与其功能性相互作用。该蛋白能够独立于RNA定位，并被认为可以募集slam RNA进行局部翻译。通过拟议的研究项目，将通过定位，有效翻译和RNA-蛋白质相互作用所需的RNA和蛋白质位点来分析slam蛋白质和RNA之间功能相互作用的机制。与特定的报告构建体，我们将揭示的时空模式的第一轮翻译和新生肽的外观。此外，我们将分析候选基因的翻译调控，即。e. FMR 1和Caprin。这两个基因产生的突变表型与弱slam等位基因相当，表明与slam相关的功能。

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.