CPB-3 and CGH-1 localize to motile particles within dendrites in C. elegans PVD sensory neurons

• Main Authors: Kathrin Spendier, Eugenia C. Olesnicky, Daniel Forand, Margaret Wolf, Darrell J. Killian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2021-08-01
• Series: BMC Research Notes
• Subjects: RNA-binding proteins (RBPs); CPB-3; CGH-1; Ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs); Posttranscriptional regulation; Caenorhabditis elegans
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-021-05730-5

Abstract Objective RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are important regulators of gene expression that influence mRNA splicing, stability, localization, transport, and translational control. In particular, RBPs play an important role in neurons, which have a complex morphology. Previously, we showed that there are many RBPs that play a conserved role in dendrite development in Drosophila dendritic arborization neurons and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) PVD neurons including the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding proteins (CPEBs), Orb in Drosophila and CPB-3 in C. elegans, and the DEAD box RNA helicases, Me31B in Drosophila and CGH-1 in C. elegans. During these studies, we observed that fluorescently-labeled CPB-3 and CGH-1 localize to cytoplasmic particles that are motile, and our research aims to further characterize these RBP-containing particles in live neurons. Results Here we extend on previous work to show that CPB-3 and CGH-1 localize to motile particles within dendrites that move at a speed consistent with microtubule-based transport. This is consistent with a model in which CPB-3 and CGH-1 influence dendrite development through the transport and localization of their mRNA targets. Moreover, CPB-3 and CGH-1 rarely localize to the same particles suggesting that these RBPs function in discrete ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) that may regulate distinct mRNAs.