Identification of mRNAs with polar distributions in complex cells and their functional characterization

• Applicants: Professorin Maria Leptin, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Siegfried Roth
• Subject Area: General Genetics and Functional Genome Biology
• Term: from 2010 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 181600422

Many cells have highly polarized morphologies that serve specialized functions. In some cell types the local synthesis of proteins from localized mRNAs contributes to polarized cell behaviour. We pro-pose here to conduct a genetic screen for mRNAs with polar distributions in different cell types which will be based on an in vivo screening method we have developed to identify mRNAs with polarized distributions in the branched cells of the Drosophila tracheal system. A pilot screen has identified genes required for cell morphogenesis that have not been found by other screening methods. The preliminary results suggest the existence of cell type specific mRNA recognition and processing sys-tems, and show that the screen provides an unbiased approach to large-scale identification of local-ized RNAs that can be applied to any cell type. The full-scale screen for localized mRNAs we propose here is therefore expected to have two long-term results. It will yield further genes for the elucidation of cell morphogenetic mechanisms and the sequences of the genes will constitute a database of mRNAs with tissue-specific polar distributions, and provide a basis for the bioinformatic prediction of localisation signals. Our database obtained from screening tracheal cells,oocytes and the follicle cell epithelium will be enriched by input from collaborating laboratories who will use the stocks we generate to screen other cell types.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants