Affiliation:
1. Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Avenue Docteur Penfield,Montréal, Québec H3A 1B1, Canada
Abstract
The DEAD-box RNA helicase Vasa (Vas) is required for germ cell development and function, as well as for embryonic somatic posterior patterning. Vas interacts with the general translation initiation factor eIF5B (cIF2, also known as dIF2), and thus may regulate translation of specific mRNAs. In order to investigate which functions of Vas are related to translational control, we have analyzed the effects of site-directed vas mutations that reduce or eliminate interaction with eIF5B. Reduction in Vas-eIF5B interaction during oogenesis leads to female sterility, with phenotypes similar to a vasnull mutation. Accumulation of Gurken (Grk) protein is greatly reduced when Vas-eIF5B interaction is reduced, suggesting that this interaction is crucial for translational regulation of grk. In addition, we show that reduction in Vas-eIF5B interaction virtually abolishes germ cell formation in embryos, while producing a less severe effect on somatic posterior patterning. We conclude that interaction with the general translation factor eIF5B is essential for Vas function during development.
Publisher
The Company of Biologists
Subject
Developmental Biology,Molecular Biology
Reference65 articles.
1. Bardsley, A., McDonald, K. and Boswell, R. E.(1993). Distribution of tudor protein in the Drosophilaembryo suggests separation of functions based on site of localization. Development119,207-219.
2. Breitwieser, W., Markussen, F.-H., Horstmann, H. and Ephrussi,A. (1996). Oskar protein interaction with Vasa represents an essential step in polar granule assembly. Genes Dev.10,2179-2188.
3. Carrera, P., Johnstone, O., Nakamura, A., Casanova, J.,Jäckle, H. and Lasko, P. (2000). VASA mediates translation through interaction with a Drosophila yIF2 homolog. Mol. Cell5,181-187.
4. Castagnetti, S. and Ephrussi, A. (2003). Orb and a long poly(A) tail are required for efficient oskar translation at the posterior pole of the Drosophila oocyte. Development130,835-843.
5. Chang, J. S., Tan, L. and Schedl, P. (1999). The Drosophila CPEB homolog, orb, is required for oskar protein expression in oocytes. Dev. Biol.215,91-106.