Maintenance of Miranda Localization in Drosophila Neuroblasts Involves Interaction with the Cognate mRNA.

ABSTRACT: How cells position their proteins is a key problem in cell biology. Targeting mRNAs to distinct regions of the cytoplasm contributes to protein localization by providing local control over translation. Here, we reveal that an interdependence of a protein and cognate mRNA maintains asymmetric protein distribution in mitotic Drosophila neural stem cells. We tagged endogenous mRNA or protein products of the gene miranda that is required for fate determination with GFP. We find that the mRNA localizes like the protein it encodes in a basal crescent in mitosis. We then used GFP-specific nanobodies fused to localization domains to alter the subcellular distribution of the GFP-tagged mRNA or protein. Altering the localization of the mRNA resulted in mislocalization of the protein and vice versa.

SUBMITTER: Ramat A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5526833 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature