Translational repression determines a neuronal potential in Drosophila asymmetric cell division

Masataka Okabe (), Takao Imai, Mitsuhiko Kurusu, Yasushi Hiromi and Hideyuki Okano
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Masataka Okabe: National Institute of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies
Takao Imai: Biomedical Research Center, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine
Mitsuhiko Kurusu: Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba
Yasushi Hiromi: National Institute of Genetics, Graduate University for Advanced Studies
Hideyuki Okano: Biomedical Research Center, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine

Nature, 2001, vol. 411, issue 6833, 94-98

Abstract: Abstract Asymmetric cell division is a fundamental strategy for generating cellular diversity during animal development1. Daughter cells manifest asymmetry in their differential gene expression. Transcriptional regulation of this process has been the focus of many studies, whereas cell-type-specific ‘translational’ regulation has been considered to have a more minor role. During sensory organ development in Drosophila, Notch signalling directs the asymmetry between neuronal and non-neuronal lineages2, and a zinc-finger transcriptional repressor Tramtrack69 (TTK69) acts downstream of Notch as a determinant of non-neuronal identity3,4. Here we show that repression of TTK69 protein expression in the neuronal lineage occurs translationally rather than transcriptionally. This translational repression is achieved by a direct interaction between cis-acting sequences in the 3′ untranslated region of ttk69 messenger RNA and its trans-acting repressor, the RNA-binding protein Musashi (MSI)5. Although msi can act downstream of Notch, Notch signalling does not affect MSI expression. Thus, Notch signalling is likely to regulate MSI activity rather than its expression. Our results define cell-type-specific translational control of ttk69 by MSI as a downstream event of Notch signalling in asymmetric cell division.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35075094

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