Cell polarity plays a key role in the development multicellular organisms. Several mechanisms exist to ensure that cytoplasmic determinants are distributed heterogeneously within cells. mRNA localisation, is one such process that targets proteins to their site of function. Although the function of mRNA localisation has been widely studied in various organisms ranging from yeast to mammals, since its discovery 20 years ago the mechanism by which mRNAs are transported to their destination is poorly understood. This thesis studies the mechanism by which <i>grk</i> mRNA localisation, crucial for axis of specification of Drosophila embryos, is transported in oogenesis from the cell where it is transcribed to its final destination in the oocyte. Two in vivo approaches were utilised, to study <i>grk </i>RNA movement in Drosophila oogenesis. Molecular beacons, probes that fluoresce upon hybridisation, were not successful in faithfully detecting endogenous <i>grk</i> mRNA. On the other hand, an injection assay of in vitro transcribed and fluorescently labelled <i>grk </i>RNA in living egg chambers, revealed a microtubule and dynein dependence throughout the entire movement of <i>grk </i>RNA transport from the nurse cells to its final destination in the ooycte. We propose, that other key maternal transcripts are transported and localised in Drosophila oogeoeuia via a similar motor driven mechanism.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:643200 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Clark, Alejandra |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/13404 |
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