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Distinct roles for Caf1, Ccr4, Edc3 and CutA in the co‐ordination of transcript deadenylation, decapping and P‐body formation in Aspergillus nidulans
Author(s) -
Morozov Igor Y.,
Jones Meriel G.,
Spiller Dave G.,
Rigden Daniel J.,
Dattenböck Christoph,
Novotny Rene,
Strauss Joseph,
Caddick Mark X.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07118.x
Subject(s) - biology , aspergillus nidulans , microbiology and biotechnology , messenger rna , cytoplasm , enhancer , biochemistry , gene , gene expression , mutant
Summary Transcript degradation is a key step in gene regulation. In eukaryotes, mRNA decay is generally initiated by removal of the poly(A) tail mediated by the Ccr4–Caf1–Not complex. Deadenylated transcripts are then rapidly degraded, primarily via the decapping‐dependent pathway. Components of this pathway can be localized into highly dynamic cytoplasmic foci, the mRNA processing (P)‐bodies. We have undertaken confocal fluorescence microscopy to monitor P‐bodies in Aspergillus nidulans . As in other organisms a dynamic shift in P‐body formation occurs in response to diverse physiological signals. Significantly, both this cellular response and the signalled degradation of specific transcripts are dependent on the nuclease activity of Caf1 but not Ccr4. P‐body formation is disrupted in A. nidulans strains deleted for Edc3, an enhancer of decapping, or CutA, which encodes a nucleotidyltransferase that triggers mRNA decapping by the addition of a CUCU tag to the poly(A) tail. As with Δ cutA , Δ edc3 led to reduced rates of transcript degradation. These data link P‐bodies to both the optimization and regulation of transcript degradation.