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Originally published as Genetics Published Articles Ahead of Print on June 1, 2009.
Genetics, Vol. 182, 1051-1060, August 2009, Copyright © 2009
doi:10.1534/genetics.109.103234
Genetic Modifiers of dFMR1 Encode RNA Granule Components in Drosophila
Anne-Marie J. Cziko*,
,
Cathal T. McCann
,
Iris C. Howlett*,1,
Scott A. Barbee*,2,
Rebecca P. Duncan*,3,
Rene Luedemann*,
Daniela Zarnescu*,
Konrad E. Zinsmaier*,,
Roy R. Parker*,
and
Mani Ramaswami,*,4
Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin-2, Ireland and * Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, ARL Division of Neurobiology, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
4 Corresponding author: Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Lloyd Building, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin-2, Ireland.
E-mail: mani.ramaswami{at}tcd.ie
Mechanisms of neuronal mRNA localization and translation are of considerable biological interest. Spatially regulated mRNA translation contributes to cell-fate decisions and axon guidance during development, as well as to long-term synaptic plasticity in adulthood. The Fragile-X Mental Retardation protein (FMRP/dFMR1) is one of the best-studied neuronal translational control molecules and here we describe the identification and early characterization of proteins likely to function in the dFMR1 pathway. Induction of the dFMR1 in sevenless-expressing cells of the Drosophila eye causes a disorganized (rough) eye through a mechanism that requires residues necessary for dFMR1/FMRP's translational repressor function. Several mutations in dco, orb2, pAbp, rm62, and smD3 genes dominantly suppress the sev-dfmr1 rough-eye phenotype, suggesting that they are required for dFMR1-mediated processes. The encoded proteins localize to dFMR1-containing neuronal mRNPs in neurites of cultured neurons, and/or have an effect on dendritic branching predicted for bona fide neuronal translational repressors. Genetic mosaic analyses indicate that dco, orb2, rm62, smD3, and dfmr1 are dispensable for translational repression of hid, a microRNA target gene, known to be repressed in wing discs by the bantam miRNA. Thus, the encoded proteins may function as miRNA- and/or mRNA-specific translational regulators in vivo.
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Genetics 2009 182: NP.
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