Solari, C. A. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2019

CoFe granules focus coordinated glycolytic mRNA localization and translation to fuel glucose fermentation

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway for glucose catabolism across biology, and glycolytic enzymes are amongst the most abundant proteins in cells. Their expression at such levels provides a particular challenge. Here we demonstrate that the glycolytic mRNAs are localized to granules in yeast and human cells. Detailed live cell and smFISH studies in yeast show that the mRNAs are actively translated in granules, and this translation appears critical for the localization. Furthermore, this arrangement is likely to facilitate the higher level organisation and control of the glycolytic pathway. Indeed, the degree of fermentation required by cells is intrinsically connected to the extent of mRNA localization to granules. On this basis, we term these granules, Core Fermentation (CoFe) granules; they appear to represent translation factories allowing high-level co-ordinated enzyme synthesis for a critical metabolic pathway.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Translation factor mRNA granules direct protein synthetic capacity to regions of polarized growth

mRNA localization serves key functions in localized protein production making it critical that the translation machinery itself is present at these locations. Here we show that translation factor mRNAs are localized to distinct granules within yeast cells. In contrast to many mRNP granules, such as P-bodies and stress granules, which contain translationally repressed mRNAs, these granules harbor translated mRNAs under active growth conditions. The granules require Pablp for their integrity and are inherited by developing daughter cells in a She2p/ She3p dependent manner. These results point to a model where roughly half the mRNA for certain translation factors are specifically directed in granules toward the tip of the developing daughter cell where protein synthesis is most heavily required, which has particular implications for filamentous forms of growth. Such a feedforward mechanism would ensure adequate provision of the translation machinery where it is to be needed most over the coming growth cycle. SummaryThis study shows that mRNAs encoding a range of translation factors are localized to granules that get transported into the yeast daughter cell using the She2p/She3p machinery. This likely supports an intensification of protein synthetic activity to facilitate apical polarized growth.

cell biology↗