Previous work identified the sex-lethal protein (dSXL) as a necessary repressor of msl-2 translation. New work from the labs of Drs. Fatima Gebauer (CRG-UPF) and Matthias Hentze (EMBL) identify the Drosophila homolog of the mammalian UNR protein as a co-factor required for SXL-mediated repression of msl-2 translation.
Dr. Gebauer points out that the "UNR is, therefore, an essential component of a translational control mechanism that prevents dosage compensation in female cells," and Dr. Hentze adds that "These new studies teach us how a protein that is expressed in both sexes can be used for an essential female-specific function. Learning more about how dSXL and UNR work together will instruct us on how cells control the key step of protein synthesis."
Genes & Development