THE ROLE OF ME31B IN Drosophila melanogaster GAMETOGENESIS MEDIATED BY eIF4E.

CORUJO GH; GRECO H; RIVERA POMAR R; LAYANA C

Chascomus

Congreso; XVI Jornada Anual Sociedad Argentina de Biología; 2014

SAB

Development of a whole organism implies a global regulation of gene expression at several levels. At the translational level in eukaryotes, initiation is regulated by proteins which bind the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) has eight eIF4E cognates, but their specific biological role in gene regulation have not been addressed except of eIF4E1 and eIF4E8 (4E-HP). We have showed that Dm eIF4E-3 is a testis-specific protein implicated in the translation initiation control exclusively during male germline development. eIF4E-3 is required for meiotic chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, nuclear shaping and sperm individualization. The rck/p54 homolog in Dm (Me31B) is a RNA helicase which is required for mRNA silencing in cytoplasmic processing bodies. We have observed in vitro interaction between eIF4E-3 and Me31B by yeast two hybrid assay and FRET en S2 cells. Here we show the co-localization of Me31B and eIF4E-1 in Dm oocytes and the localization of Me31B and eIF4E-3 in Dm testis exhibiting a similar pattern. These results suggest that Me31B exerts gene regulation mediated by eIF4E3 and eIF4E1 in Dm gametogenesis.