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First published online February 20, 2009

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Maternal control goes up in Smaug

Following fertilisation, animal development is initially regulated by maternal factors that are present in the unfertilised egg. Developmental control then transfers to the zygotic genome, in a process known as the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). Now, on p. 923, William Theurkauf and colleagues identify the RNA-binding protein Smaug as an essential regulator of MZT in Drosophila. The researchers report that Smaug, which participates in maternal mRNA destruction during MZT, is also required for other MZT-associated events, such as slowing of the cleavage divisions, cellularisation, DNA replication checkpoint activation and the initiation of zygotic transcription, including that of the miR-309 cluster of microRNAs. This cluster directs the degradation of certain maternal mRNAs during MZT, indicating that Smaug mediates mRNA destruction both directly and indirectly. Furthermore, when the researchers transgenically expressed Smaug in an anterior-to-posterior gradient in the zygote, many MZT-associated events were initiated in a concentration-dependent manner. From their results, the authors propose that Smaug accumulation drives a maternal clock that controls MZT timing.

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An essential role for the RNA-binding protein Smaug during the Drosophila maternal-to-zygotic transition

Beatrice Benoit, Chun Hua He, Fan Zhang, Sarah M. Votruba, Wael Tadros, J. Timothy Westwood, Craig A. Smibert, Howard D. Lipshitz, and William E. Theurkauf
Development 2009 136: 923-932. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?