Oskar switches motors halfway through its journey

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe In oocytes of many species, the correct localization of specific mRNAs — and, by extension, the proteins they encode — is crucial to ensure

that development proceeds normally. A prominent example is the mRNA _oskar_, which becomes localized at the posterior of _Drosophila melanogaster_ oocytes to induce abdomen and germline

formation in the embryo. Positioning of mRNAs often relies on the microtubule motors dynein and kinesin, but how their activity is controlled spatio-temporally is poorly understood. Gáspár

et al. now describe an elegant mechanism that relies on a feed-forward loop between two double-stranded RNA-binding proteins (dsRBPs) and enables the localization of _oskar_ by switching of

motor activities. Depletion of Staufen did not abrogate plus-end-directed transport of _oskar_ or affect its association with kinesin-1. Instead, minus-end-directed trafficking of _oskar_

significantly increased, which indicates that Staufen inhibits anterior-bound transport of _oskar_ in the oocyte. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

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FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES ORIGINAL ARTICLE * Gáspár, I. et al. An RNA-based feed-forward mechanism ensures motor switching in _oskar_ mRNA transport. _J. Cell Biol._

https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202301113 (2023) Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  RELATED ARTICLES * Mohr, S. et al. Opposing roles for Egalitarian and Staufen in transport,

anchoring and localization of _oskar_ mRNA in the _Drosophila_ oocyte. _PLoS Genet_ 17, e1009500 (2021) Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Das, S. et al. Intracellular

mRNA transport and localized translation. _Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol._ 22, 483–504 (2021) Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS

AND AFFILIATIONS * Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology http://www.nature.com/nrm/ Lisa Heinke Authors * Lisa Heinke View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Lisa Heinke. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Heinke, L. _oskar_ switches motors

halfway through its journey. _Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol_ 24, 451 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-023-00620-z Download citation * Published: 23 May 2023 * Issue Date: July 2023 * DOI:

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