RNA LOCALIZATION IN XENOPUS OOCYTES

在卵中建立极性可以说是 在胚胎模式中。 单个细胞，即受精卵，含有 这些信息最终将指定整个生物体。 作为鸡蛋 在发育的早期阶段分裂，不同的细胞获得 不同的命运 解释这种差异的一种机制是， 发育潜力是卵中分子的隔离， 可以说明这种潜力。 这是一个长期的建议， 卵中母体因子的定位可以为模式提供基础， 在早期胚胎中，虽然有证据表明存在 在许多系统中，局部细胞质决定簇，在任何情况下， 本地化进程了解 本研究提案针对这一点 通过研究特定母体mRNAs的定位， 青蛙蛋 这项研究的目的是了解RNA 被定位到细胞内的特定区域。 非洲爪蟾卵母细胞 提供了一个很好的模型系统来研究这个问题。 首席 该系统的实验优点之一是快速注入 用于定位的测定，并且易于获得大量材料 用于生化研究。 提出了三条调查路线， 研究RNA定位：（1）实验提出了识别和 隔离定位装置的部件。RNA的生物化学 本地化目前还不清楚。 通过解决这个问题，新 应该获得有关所涉及的分子装置的信息 将大分子转移到卵母细胞胞质的特定区域。 （二） 为了解决某些机械问题，提出了实验， 探索细胞骨架在RNA定位中的作用。 (3)为了 让我们了解特定的RNA是如何被识别为需要 定位，实验提出了表征RNA信号， 本地化 这些实验不仅可以提供关于 发育信号是本地化的，但这也可能在 细胞类型确定。 目前，尚不清楚发育信号是如何定位于 在早期发育过程中确定细胞类型。 提出的实验 这里讨论这个问题，并可能有助于理解如何 发育程序在某些疾病中被破坏。 了解 细胞过程出错的方式，首先是 需要对正常发展有基本的了解， 分化

Establishment of polarity in the egg can be described as the earliest step in embryonic patterning. A single cell, the fertilized egg, contains the information that will ultimately specify the entire organism. As the egg divides during the early stages of development, different cells acquire different fates. One mechanism to account for this difference in developmental potential is the sequestering of molecules in the egg that could specify such potential. It is a long-standing proposal that localization of maternal factors in eggs can provide the basis for pattern in the early embryo, and while there is evidence for the existence of localized cytoplasmic determinants in many systems, in no case is the localization process understood. This research proposal addresses this problem by investigating the localization of specific maternal mRNAs in the frog egg. The aim of the proposed research is to understand the means by which RNA is localized to specified regions within a cell. The Xenopus oocyte provides an excellent model system in which to study this problem. Chief among the experimental advantages in this system are a rapid injection assay for localization, and ease in obtaining large amounts of material for biochemical studies. Three lines of investigation are proposed to study RNA localization: (1) Experiments are proposed to identify and isolate components of the localization apparatus. The biochemistry of RNA localization is not currently understood. By addressing this issue, new information should be gained concerning the molecular apparatus involved in moving macromolecules to defined regions of the oocyte cytoplasm. (2) To address certain mechanistic questions, experiments are proposed to probe the role of the cytoskeleton in RNA localization. (3) In order to allow understanding of how particular RNAs are recognized as requiring localization, experiments are proposed to characterize the RNA signal for localization. These experiments may provide insights not only into how developmental signals are localized, but also the role this may play in cell type determination. Currently, it is not understood how developmental signals are localized to determine cell type during early development. The experiments proposed here address that problem, and may contribute towards understanding how developmental programs are disrupted in certain diseases. To understand the means by which cellular processes can go awry, it will first be necessary to gain a basic understanding of normal development and differentiation.