In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 4 ( 2015-04-02)
Abstract:
To make a protein, the DNA sequence that encodes it must first be ‘transcribed’ to build a molecule of messenger RNA (called mRNA for short). Although many mRNA molecules are found throughout a cell, some are ‘localized’ to certain areas; and recent evidence suggests that this mRNA localization may be more common than previously thought. Not much is known about how cells identify which mRNAs need to be localized, or how these molecules are then transported to their destination. The localization process has been studied in most detail in the developing egg cell—also known as an oocyte—of the fruit fly species Drosophila melanogaster. These studies have identified few mRNA molecules that, if they are not carefully localized within the cell, cause the different parts of the fly embryo to fail to develop correctly when the oocyte is fertilized. Jambor et al. created an open-access online resource called the ‘Dresden Ovary Table’ that shows how 5862 mRNA molecules are distributed in several cell types involved in oocyte production in the ovary of female D. melanogaster flies. This resource consists of a combination of three-dimensional fluorescent images and measurements of mRNA amounts recorded at different stages in the development of the oocyte. Using the resource, Jambor et al. demonstrate that all of the cell types that make up the ovary localize many different mRNA molecules to several distinct destinations within the cells. The localized mRNAs share certain features, with mRNAs localized in the same part of the cell showing the most similarities. For example, localized mRNAs have longer so-called 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTR) that carry regulatory information and these sequences are also more evolutionarily conserved. Further, when the mRNA molecules in the oocyte were examined at different times during its development and compared with the embryo, the majority of these mRNAs were found to change where they are localized as the organism develops. The resource can be used to gain insight into specific genetic features that control the distribution of mRNAs. This information will be instrumental for cracking the ‘RNA localization code’ and understanding how it affects the activity of proteins in cells.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.003
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.004
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.005
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.009
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.011
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.012
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.013
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.014
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.015
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.016
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.017
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.018
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.019
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.020
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.021
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.022
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.023
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.024
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.025
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.026
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.027
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.05003.028
Language:
English
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publication Date:
2015
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687154-3
Bookmarklink