# TRANSLATIONAL REGULATION IN DROSOPHILA

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK · 1994 · $171,584

## Abstract

Translational regulation is a crucial aspect of gene expression during
oogenesis and early embryogenesis in all animals, and is also important
in somatic tissues.   A strategy has been developed for examining the
components of this regulatory pathway using the Power of Drosophila
molecular genetics.

1.  The role of cytoplasmic polyadenylation in translation regulation in
Drosophila will be investigated.  The translational activation of bicoid
mRNA during early embryogenesis is correlated with an increase in its
poly (A) tail length.  To study whether polyadenylation is required for
translation, the rescuing ability will be determined of various bicoid
transcripts injected into embryos derived from females homozygous for a
null bicoid mutation.  mRNA sequences that control translational
activation will also be investigated using both injection of synthetic
transcripts and production of transgenic files.

2.  Mutations in the cortex gene behave as recessive, maternal-effect
mutations.  Embryos derived from females homozygous for a cortex
mutations arrest early in development.  Although these embryos contain
normal amounts of properly spliced and localized bicoid mRNA, this mRNA
is not translated.  In addition, the polyadenylation of bicoid mRNA that
normally accompanies early development does not occur.  These results
implicate the cortex gene in polyadenylation and translational activation
of bicoid mRNA.  Therefore, the phenotype of cortex mutants will be
investigated (the time and characteristics of embryonic arrest), and the
cortex gene will be cloned and sequenced to clarify its role in early
development.

3.  Other collections of maternal-effect mutations will be analyzed to
identify additional genes that participate in maternal mRNA activation,
using the same strategy that showed a role for cortex in bicoid
translational control.  The phenotype, nature of the gene product, and
expression pattern will be determined of mutations that exhibits defects
in translational activation, and their functional interactions with and
genetic relationship to the cortex gene will be studied.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2190209
- **Project number:** 1R01GM051584-01
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY NEW YORK STONY BROOK
- **SAM.gov UEI:** M746VC6XMNH9
- **Principal Investigator:** SIDNEY STRICKLAND
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $171,584
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1994-08-01 → 1998-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2190209

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2190209, TRANSLATIONAL REGULATION IN DROSOPHILA (1R01GM051584-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2190209. Licensed CC0.

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