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Temporal and spatial control of germ plasm RNAs 1 HHMI and Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine of the Skirball Institute, Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016 2 Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France 4author of correspondence: Ruth Lehmann, Skirball Institute, Development Genetics Program, NYU Medical Center, 540 First Ave., New York NY 10016, Tel 212 263 8071, Fax 212 263 7760, Email: lehmann/at/saturn.med.nyu.edu 3present address: Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, Oeiras, 2780-156, Portugal. Abstract In many species germ cells form in a specialized germ plasm, which contains localized maternal RNAs [1–5]. In the absence of active transcription in early germ cells, these maternal RNAs encode germ cell components with critical functions in germ cell specification, migration and development [6, 7]. For several RNAs, localization has been correlated with release from translational repression, suggesting an important regulatory function linked to localization [3, 4, 8, 9]. To address the role of RNA localization and translational control more systematically, we assembled a comprehensive set of RNAs that are localized to polar granules, the characteristic germ plasm organelles. We find that the 3′-untranslated regions (UTRs) of all RNAs tested control RNA localization and instruct distinct temporal patterns of translation of the localized RNAs. We demonstrate necessity for translational timing by swapping the 3′UTR of polar granular component (pgc), which controls translation in germ cells, with that of nanos, which is translated earlier. Translational activation of pgc is concurrent with extension of its poly(A) tail length, but appears largely independent of the Drosophila CPEB homolog ORB. Our results demonstrate a role for 3′UTR mediated translational regulation in fine-tuning the temporal expression of localized RNA and may provide a paradigm for other RNAs that are found enriched at common cellular locations such as the leading edge of fibroblasts or the neuronal synapse. Results and Discussion Translation of germ plasm RNAs is temporally regulated by their 3′UTRs To investigate the translational state of germ line localized RNAs, we assembled a list of RNAs localized to germ plasm using publicly available databases and published reports. We used data from the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP) in situ database, the embryo data base by Lecuyer et al. and literature searches to assemble a list of RNAs present in germ cells and then tested these RNAs for their mode of germ cell localization [10, 11]. We based our analysis on the expression patterns of RNAs previously known to be localized to the germ plasm such as nanos, germ cell less (gcl) and polar granule component (pgc); by electron microscopy these RNAs were shown to be localized to the polar granules, which are integral RNA-protein components of germ plasm [12, 13]. nanos, gcl and pgc are initially localized in the form of a crescent at the posterior pole of the embryo (stage 1–2) and are then incorporated into developing germ cells (stage 3–4). Our analysis suggests that about ~33% (58/171) of germ cell RNAs are localized in a manner similar to nanos, gcl and pgc, while the remaining RNAs are protected in germ cells by selective stabilization without prior localization (see Supplementary Tables 1 and 2). The majority of maternally synthesized RNA is not localized or protected and this RNA is degraded at the transition from maternal to zygotic gene expression (stage 4–5) [8, 14–18]. Of the 58 genes with expression patterns comparable to nanos, gcl and pgc we selected 11 for further analysis (Table 1).
In the case of nanos, RNA translation in the embryo is linked to its localization to the germ plasm, and both aspects of RNA regulation are mediated by the nanos 3′UTR [8]. In order to determine whether this link between RNA localization and translation applies more generally to RNAs localized to the germ plasm and is mediated by 3′UTRs, we generated reporter constructs containing the 3′UTRs of selected localized RNAs and used previously described reporters for nanos and orb [19, 20]. We fused the maternally active nanos promoter and its 5′UTR to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) coding region, which carried a HA-tag on both the C- and N-termini, and added to this reporter cassette the 3′UTRs of selected localized RNAs (Figure 1A
As the reporter constructs demonstrated that 3′UTRs were sufficient to localize RNAs to the germ plasm, we wanted to analyze the translational state of these RNAs beginning at the germ plasm stage (stage 1) through stage 8 of embryogenesis, when zygotic transcription is initiated in germ cells [22]. In addition to following the expression of GFP protein translated by the respective reporter construct, we analyzed the expression of endogenous proteins when antibodies were available. The results are summarized in Figure 1E Translation of pgc is associated with polyadenylation To further explore the link between 3′UTR-mediated localization and subsequent activity, we chose to focus on Class III RNAs, namely pgc and four other RNAs, for which translation was repressed during the early cleavage stages of embryogenesis and was activated upon germ cell formation (Figure 1E
One mechanism by which pgc RNA poly(A) tail length may be regulated is by regulated access of the Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element binding protein (CPEB) to the RNA. In neuronal granules, as well as during oocyte maturation of Xenopus laevis eggs, repressed RNAs are activated by poly(A) elongation via the activity of CPEBs [33]. Drosophila has two CPEBs; of these the one encoded by the orb gene is predominantly expressed in the germ line. orb RNA and protein are both present in germ plasm and in germ cells (Table 1 and Supplementary Figure 10). However, genetic analysis of ORB’s role in germ plasm translation is difficult. ORB plays essential roles during oogenesis including positively regulating the translation of osk at the posterior pole of the oocyte [34, 35]. Indeed, the weak orbmel allele has a phenotype similar to that of osk, and embryos laid by orbmel mothers fail to assemble germ plasm or form germ cells, precluding the direct analysis of a later role of ORB in germ plasm or germ cells [36]. To assess if ORB is required for pgc RNA poly(A) tail elongation and translational activation we circumvented the necessity for orb in the translation of osk and thus the formation of germ plasm. We localized osk RNA to the anterior pole of the embryo by utilizing the bcd 3′UTR [15]. Embryos from orbmel/orb343 mutant mothers, carrying both the osk-bcd 3′UTR and pnos::GFP-HA-pgc 3′UTR transgenes, were collected and stained for VASA, a germ cell marker, and the HA tag to detect expression from the GFP-HA-pgc 3′UTR transgene (Figure 2B–C Polar granules coordinate translation of germ plasm RNAs The role of polar granules in the regulation of germ cell RNAs remains elusive. In somatic cells, Processing (P) bodies are known centers of RNA repression [38]. As polar granules share common components with P bodies, it has been proposed that polar granules are centers of RNA repression [6, 39]. However, EM studies have also shown that polar granules contain ribosomes, thereby predicting a more active role in translation [13]. Among the localized germ plasm RNAs that we investigated, nanos, gcl and pgc are found in polar granules by electron microscopy at the germ plasm stage [12, 13]. These three RNAs are translated at different time points, namely at the germ plasm (stage 1), germ bud (stage 2–3) and germ cell stage (stage 4) respectively. If polar granules had a solely repressive or activating role, one might expect that the association of these RNAs with polar granules would change during development as each RNA becomes translated. We used a transgenic line that expressed an Aubergine-GFP fusion protein (AUB-GFP), to mark polar granules [40, 41] while also assessing nos, pgc and gcl RNA localization by fluorescent in situ hybridization. We found that all three RNAs co-localize with polar granules during all stages of germ cell formation (Supplementary Figure 11, 12). While it is possible that small amounts of RNA leave the granules and are then translated, we favor the hypothesis that polar granules are dynamic centers of RNA regulation that control both RNA repression and translation. Regulation of translation by 3′UTR is important for proper development Our results show that germ line RNAs are translationally regulated during embryogenesis in a temporally restricted manner. We next wanted to determine whether altering the temporal expression of these RNAs by switching 3′UTRs had consequences for proper germ line or somatic development. We chose pgc because of its role as a global transcriptional repressor in germ cells, a function that is required when germ cells form [29]. Furthermore, ectopic expression of pgc causes transcriptional silencing in somatic tissues [25]. We swapped the pgc 3′UTR, which restricts translation to the germ cell stage (stage 4), with the nanos 3′UTR, which confers translational activation earlier as oocytes mature during late oogenesis and in germ plasm (Figure 3B1–B4′
Conclusion By systematically analyzing RNAs localized to germ plasm in the embryonic germ line we show that 3′UTRs play an instructive role in the spatial and temporal control of germ line expression, a role made especially critical due to the lack of active transcription in early germ cells. In general, sequences within the 3′UTR restrict and protect RNAs with function in germ line biology to the germ cells. Moreover, the 3′UTR also harbors a specific program to repress and activate translation at distinct times of development. Thus, contrary to previous findings with oskar and nanos RNA, which suggested a mechanism by which translational repression was relieved concomitant with localization, our results suggest that additional mechanisms regulate translation during different stages of germ line development. Our results suggest that association with polar granules may not be limited to translationally active or repressed RNAs. Since transcription is repressed in germ cells, intrinsic timing mechanisms need to control the activity of transacting factors or the accessibility of RNA structure to relieve repression within polar granules. Large scale RNA localization is not unique to Drosophila germ plasm but has also been observed in migrating fibroblasts and in neuronal dendrites [43, 44]. So far only a small number of RNAs have been analyzed in detail for their regulation. A more systematic analysis of regulated RNAs should provide new insight into the logic contained in 3′UTRs that instructs specific translational outcomes. 01 Click here to view.(11M, pdf) Acknowledgments We would like to thank Lehmann lab members for critically reading the manuscript. We want to thank Alexey Arkov for the gift of the plasmid containing the nanos promoter with the nanos 5′UTR linked to GFP. We are particularly grateful to Daria Siekhaus and Noelle Paffett-Lugassy for discussion and comments on the manuscript. We thank Paul Schedl and Iswar Hariharan for flies and antibodies. P.R. is a HHMI Research Associate. R.G.M. was an EMBO and a Human Frontiers Science Program postdoctoral fellow. R.L. is a HHMI investigator. Footnotes Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. References 1. King ML, Messitt TJ, Mowry KL. Putting RNAs in the right place at the right time: RNA localization in the frog oocyte. Biol Cell. 2005;97:19–33. [PubMed] 2. Knaut H, Steinbeisser H, Schwarz H, Nusslein-Volhard C. 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Biol Cell. 2005 Jan; 97(1):19-33.
[Biol Cell. 2005]Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Apr; 71(4):1016-20.
[Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974]Cell. 2006 Dec 1; 127(5):891-904.
[Cell. 2006]Cell. 2008 Feb 22; 132(4):559-62.
[Cell. 2008]Cell. 1991 Jul 12; 66(1):37-50.
[Cell. 1991]Cell. 2007 Oct 5; 131(1):174-87.
[Cell. 2007]Genome Biol. 2007; 8(7):R145.
[Genome Biol. 2007]Science. 1996 Dec 20; 274(5295):2075-9.
[Science. 1996]Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jul 31; 98(16):9133-8.
[Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001]Nature. 1994 May 26; 369(6478):315-8.
[Nature. 1994]Nature. 1994 May 26; 369(6478):315-8.
[Nature. 1994]J Cell Biol. 2005 Nov 21; 171(4):675-83.
[J Cell Biol. 2005]Mol Cell Biol. 1994 Apr; 14(4):2235-42.
[Mol Cell Biol. 1994]Nature. 1992 Jul 30; 358(6385):387-92.
[Nature. 1992]Curr Biol. 1998 Feb 12; 8(4):243-6.
[Curr Biol. 1998]Nat Cell Biol. 1999 Nov; 1(7):431-7.
[Nat Cell Biol. 1999]Development. 2007 Apr; 134(8):1519-27.
[Development. 2007]Nature. 2008 Feb 7; 451(7179):730-3.
[Nature. 2008]Genes Dev. 1997 Oct 1; 11(19):2510-21.
[Genes Dev. 1997]Nature. 2008 Feb 7; 451(7179):730-3.
[Nature. 2008]Curr Biol. 2004 Jan 20; 14(2):159-65.
[Curr Biol. 2004]Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 1999 Jun; 63(2):446-56.
[Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 1999]Methods. 1999 Jan; 17(1):38-45.
[Methods. 1999]Genetics. 2003 Jul; 164(3):989-1001.
[Genetics. 2003]Trends Biochem Sci. 2007 Jun; 32(6):279-85.
[Trends Biochem Sci. 2007]Genes Dev. 1994 Mar 1; 8(5):614-28.
[Genes Dev. 1994]Genes Dev. 1994 Mar 1; 8(5):598-613.
[Genes Dev. 1994]Development. 2003 Mar; 130(5):835-43.
[Development. 2003]EMBO J. 1999 May 4; 18(9):2610-20.
[EMBO J. 1999]Cell. 1992 Aug 21; 70(4):569-84.
[Cell. 1992]EMBO J. 2002 Dec 2; 21(23):6603-13.
[EMBO J. 2002]Development. 2007 Apr; 134(8):1519-27.
[Development. 2007]Mol Cell. 2007 Mar 9; 25(5):635-46.
[Mol Cell. 2007]Cell. 2006 Dec 1; 127(5):891-904.
[Cell. 2006]Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jul 31; 98(16):9133-8.
[Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001]Science. 1996 Dec 20; 274(5295):2075-9.
[Science. 1996]Development. 2007 Jan; 134(2):233-6.
[Development. 2007]Curr Biol. 2004 Jan 20; 14(2):159-65.
[Curr Biol. 2004]Nature. 2008 Feb 7; 451(7179):730-3.
[Nature. 2008]Development. 2004 Dec; 131(23):5849-57.
[Development. 2004]Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007 Oct; 8(10):776-89.
[Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007]Nature. 2008 May 1; 453(7191):115-9.
[Nature. 2008]J Cell Biol. 2005 Nov 21; 171(4):675-83.
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[Dev Biol. 1996]Genome Biol. 2007; 8(7):R145.
[Genome Biol. 2007]Cell. 2007 Oct 5; 131(1):174-87.
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