Investigating the protein and mRNA content of mRNA granules in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (360G-Wellcome-203967_Z_16_A)

The central dogma of biology is that DNA makes mRNA, which in turn is converted into proteins. Translation, the process of decoding mRNA into protein, and its attendant regulation, thus underpins all life, as proteins are principal effectors of biological function; they catalyse most biochemical reactions and play many structural and regulatory roles. Although translation is a generally well understood process common to all eukaryotes (animals, plants and fungi) it is becoming clear that the localisation of mRNA within the cell is also important and can affect mRNA degradation, storage and the translation process itself. This can occur within granules within the cell, termed ‘mRNA granules’, that possess various physical properties ranging from aggregates to ‘liquid droplets’. These granules are often linked to ‘stress’ conditions and can have different functions, as well as being linked to numerous neurodegenerative and musculo-degenerative diseases such as Fragile X mental retardation and Alzheimer’s. We hypothesise that there are a number of related granules with overlapping as well as specific mRNA/protein components that together endow these granules with unique functions. To address this we will comprehensively characterize these granules in yeast using a range of modern biochemical techniques, coupled with semi-quantitative proteomics and integrative bioinformatics.