Project description:Vanda Mimi Palmer (VMP) is commercially valuable for its strong fragrance but little is known regarding the fragrance production and emission sites on the flowers.Olfactory perception detected fragrance only from the petals and sepals. Light and Environmental Scanning Electron microscopy analyses on fresh tissues showed distributions of stomata and trichomes concentrated mostly around the edges. These results paralleled the rich starch deposits and intense neutral red stain, indicating strong fragrance and trichomes as potential main fragrance release sites. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) transcriptomic data of adaxial and abaxial layers of the tissues showed monoterpene synthase transcripts specifically linalool and ocimene synthases distributed throughout the tissues. qPCR analyses taken at different time points revealed high levels of linalool and ocimene synthases transcripts in the early morning with maximal level at 4.00 am but remained low throughout daylight hours.Knowledge of the VMP floral anatomy and its fragrance production characteristics, which complemented our previous molecular and biochemical data on VMP, provided additional knowledge on how fragrance and flower morphology are closely intertwined. Further investigation on the mechanisms of fragrance biosynthesis and interaction of potential pollinators would elucidate the evolution of the flower morphology to maximize the reproduction success of this plant.
Project description:RNA-binding proteins and messenger RNAs assemble into ribonucleoprotein granules that regulate mRNA trafficking, local translation, and turnover. The dysregulation of RNA-protein condensation disturbs synaptic plasticity and neuron survival, and has been widely associated with human neurological disease. Neuronal granules are thought to condense around particular proteins that dictate the identity and composition of each granule type. Here, we show in Drosophila that a previously uncharacterized long non-coding RNA, mimi, is required to scaffold large neuronal granules in the adult nervous system. Neuronal ELAV-like proteins directly bind mimi and mediate granule assembly, while Staufen maintains condensate integrity. mimi granules contain mRNAs and proteins involved in synaptic processes; granule loss in mimi mutant flies impairs nervous system maturity, neuropeptide-mediated signaling and causes phenotypes of neurodegeneration. Our work reports the first architectural RNA for a neuronal granule and provides a handle to interrogate functions of a condensate independently from those of its constituent proteins.
Project description:RNA-binding proteins and messenger RNAs assemble into ribonucleoprotein granules that regulate mRNA trafficking, local translation, and turnover. The dysregulation of RNA-protein condensation disturbs synaptic plasticity and neuron survival, and has been widely associated with human neurological disease. Neuronal granules are thought to condense around particular proteins that dictate the identity and composition of each granule type. Here, we show in Drosophila that a previously uncharacterized long non-coding RNA, mimi, is required to scaffold large neuronal granules in the adult nervous system. Neuronal ELAV-like proteins directly bind mimi and mediate granule assembly, while Staufen maintains condensate integrity. mimi granules contain mRNAs and proteins involved in synaptic processes; granule loss in mimi mutant flies impairs nervous system maturity, neuropeptide-mediated signaling and causes phenotypes of neurodegeneration. Our work reports the first architectural RNA for a neuronal granule and provides a handle to interrogate functions of a condensate independently from those of its constituent proteins.
Project description:RNA-binding proteins and messenger RNAs assemble into ribonucleoprotein granules that regulate mRNA trafficking, local translation, and turnover. The dysregulation of RNA-protein condensation disturbs synaptic plasticity and neuron survival, and has been widely associated with human neurological disease. Neuronal granules are thought to condense around particular proteins that dictate the identity and composition of each granule type. Here, we show in Drosophila that a previously uncharacterized long non-coding RNA, mimi, is required to scaffold large neuronal granules in the adult nervous system. Neuronal ELAV-like proteins directly bind mimi and mediate granule assembly, while Staufen maintains condensate integrity. mimi granules contain mRNAs and proteins involved in synaptic processes; granule loss in mimi mutant flies impairs nervous system maturity, neuropeptide-mediated signaling and causes phenotypes of neurodegeneration. Our work reports the first architectural RNA for a neuronal granule and provides a handle to interrogate functions of a condensate independently from those of its constituent proteins.
Project description:RNA-binding proteins and messenger RNAs assemble into ribonucleoprotein granules that regulate mRNA trafficking, local translation, and turnover. The dysregulation of RNA-protein condensation disturbs synaptic plasticity and neuron survival, and has been widely associated with human neurological disease. Neuronal granules are thought to condense around particular proteins that dictate the identity and composition of each granule type. Here, we show in Drosophila that a previously uncharacterized long non-coding RNA, mimi, is required to scaffold large neuronal granules in the adult nervous system. Neuronal ELAV-like proteins directly bind mimi and mediate granule assembly, while Staufen maintains condensate integrity. mimi granules contain mRNAs and proteins involved in synaptic processes; granule loss in mimi mutant flies impairs nervous system maturity, neuropeptide-mediated signaling and causes phenotypes of neurodegeneration. Our work reports the first architectural RNA for a neuronal granule and provides a handle to interrogate functions of a condensate independently from those of its constituent proteins.