A single spacer nucleotide determines the specificities of two mRNA regulatory proteins.

Regulation of messenger RNA is crucial in many contexts, including development, memory and cell growth. The 3' untranslated region is a rich repository of regulatory elements that bind proteins and microRNAs. Here we focus on PUF proteins, an important family of mRNA regulatory proteins crucial in stem-cell proliferation, pattern formation and synaptic plasticity.

Dose-dependent control of proliferation and sperm specification by FOG-1/CPEB.

RNA-binding proteins control germline development in metazoans. This work focuses on control of the C. elegans germline by two RNA-binding proteins: FOG-1, a CPEB homolog; and FBF, a PUF family member.

Cytokine genotype polymorphisms in breast carcinoma: associations of TGF-beta1 with relapse.

Markers of angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and cytokine regulation are associated with the development and course of autoimmune and malignant diseases. We investigated associations between cytokine production genotypes in breast cancer patients compared with controls and explored associations with known prognostic indices and relapse status. Eighty-eight females with breast carcinoma (BC) were studied in this case-control study comparing the cytokine genotypes of TNF-alpha TGF-beta1, IL-10, IL-6, and IFN-gamma with controls.

Regulation of the mitosis/meiosis decision in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline.

During the development of multicellular organisms, the processes of growth and differentiation are kept in balance to generate and maintain tissues and organs of the correct size, shape and cellular composition. We have investigated the molecular controls of growth and differentiation in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline. A single somatic cell, called the distal tip cell, promotes mitotic proliferation in the adjacent germline by GLP-1/Notch signalling.

Analyzing mRNA-protein complexes using a yeast three-hybrid system.

RNA-protein interactions are essential for the proper execution and regulation of every step in the life of a eukaryotic mRNA. Here we describe a three-hybrid system in which RNA-protein interactions can be analyzed using simple phenotypic or enzymatic assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The system can be used to detect or confirm an RNA-protein interaction, to analyze RNA-protein interactions genetically, and to discover new protein or RNA partners when only one is known.

A conserved RNA-binding protein controls germline stem cells in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Germline stem cells are defined by their unique ability to generate more of themselves as well as differentiated gametes. The molecular mechanisms controlling the decision between self-renewal and differentiation are central unsolved problems in developmental biology with potentially broad medical implications. In Caenorhabditis elegans, germline stem cells are controlled by the somatic distal tip cell.

A PUF family portrait: 3'UTR regulation as a way of life.

In eukaryotic cells, mRNAs are exquisitely controlled, often through regulatory elements in their 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs). Proteins that bind to those sites are key players in controlling mRNA stability, translation and localization. One family of regulatory proteins--the PUF proteins--are not only structurally related, but also bind to 3'UTRs and modulate mRNA expression in a wide variety of eukaryotic species.