Microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1 (Macf1) domain function in Balbiani body dissociation and nuclear positioning.

ABSTRACT: Animal-vegetal (AV) polarity of most vertebrate eggs is established during early oogenesis through the formation and disassembly of the Balbiani Body (Bb). The Bb is a structure conserved from insects to humans that appears as a large granule, similar to a mRNP granule composed of mRNA and proteins, that in addition contains mitochondria, ER and Golgi. The components of the Bb, which have amyloid-like properties, include germ cell and axis determinants of the embryo that are anchored to the vegetal cortex upon Bb disassembly. Our lab discovered in zebrafish the only gene known to function in Bb disassembly, microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1a (macf1a). Macf1 is a conserved, giant multi-domain cytoskeletal linker protein that can interact with microtubules (MTs), actin filaments (AF),

SUBMITTER: Escobar-Aguirre M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5605089 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature