Messages on the move: the role of the cytoskeleton in mRNA localization and translation in plant cellsThis review is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Issue on Plant Cell Biology.

Abstract

The cytoskeleton plays an important role in numerous cellular processes, including subcellular mRNA localization and translation. Several examples of mRNA localization have emerged in plant cells, and these appear to function in protein targeting, the establishment of polarity, and cell-to-cell trafficking. The identification of several cytoskeleton-associated RNA-binding proteins in plant cells has made available candidate proteins that mediate the interaction between mRNA and the cytoskeleton, and possibly play a role in mRNA localization and translational control. We propose a model that links mRNA–microtubule interactions to translational autoregulation, a process that may assist in the efficient and regulated binding of proteins to microtubules.