RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Orb prevents autophagy in the <em>Drosophila</em> germline through translational repression of <em>Atg12</em> mRNA
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 007971
DO 10.1101/007971
A1 Isabelle Busseau
A1 Stéphanie Pierson
A1 Dany Séverac
A1 Christelle Dantec
A1 Martine Simonelig
YR 2014
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2014/08/15/007971.abstract
AB Drosophila Orb, the homologue of vertebrate CPEB is a key translational regulator involved in oocyte polarity and maturation through poly(A) tail elongation of specific mRNAs. orb has also an essential function during early oogenesis which has not been addressed at the molecular level. Here, we show that orb prevents cell death during early stages of oogenesis, thus allowing oogenesis to progress. It does so through the repression of autophagy, by directly repressing, together with the CCR4 deadenylase, the translation of Autophagy-specific gene 12 (Atg12) mRNA. The uncontrolled autophagy observed in orb mutant ovaries is reduced when Atg12 mRNA levels are decreased. These results reveal a role of Orb in translational repression and identify autophagy as an essential pathway regulated by Orb during early oogenesis. Importantly, they also establish translational regulation as a major mode of control of autophagy, a key process in cell homeostasis in response to environmental cues.