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EDEN and EDEN‐BP, a cis element and an associated factor that mediate sequence‐specific mRNA deadenylation in Xenopus embryos
Author(s) -
Paillard Luc,
Omilli Francis,
Legagneux Vincent,
Bassez Thérèse,
Maniey Dominique,
Osborne H.Beverley
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/17.1.278
Subject(s) - biology , xenopus , embryo , messenger rna , sequence (biology) , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
During Xenopus early development, gene expression is regulated mainly at the translational level by the length of the poly(A) tail of mRNAs. The Eg family and c‐mos maternal mRNAs are deadenylated rapidly and translationally repressed after fertilization. Here, we characterize a short sequence element (EDEN) responsible for the rapid deadenylation of Eg5 mRNA. Determining the core EDEN sequence permitted us to localize the c‐mos EDEN sequence. The c‐mos EDEN confered a rapid deadenylation to a reporter gene. The EDEN‐specific RNA‐binding protein (EDEN‐BP) was purified and a cDNA obtained. EDEN‐BP is highly homologous to a human protein possibly involved in myotonic dystrophy. Immunodepleting EDEN‐BP from an egg extract totally abolished the EDEN‐mediated deadenylation activity, but did not affect the default deadenylation activity. Therefore, EDEN‐BP constitutes the first trans ‐acting factor for which an essential role in the specificity of mRNA deadenylation has been directly demonstrated.