Mol Cell December 1, 1999; 4 (6): 1017-27.

Maskin is a CPEB-associated factor that transiently interacts with elF-4E.

Abstract
In Xenopus, the CPE is a bifunctional 3'' UTR sequence that maintains maternal mRNA in a dormant state in oocytes and activates polyadenylation-induced translation during oocyte maturation. Here, we report that CPEB, which binds the CPE and stimulates polyadenylation, interacts with a new factor we term maskin. Maskin contains a peptide sequence that is conserved among elF-4E-binding proteins. Affinity chromatography demonstrates that CPEB, maskin, and elF-4E reside in a complex in oocytes, and yeast two-hybrid analyses indicate that CPEB and maskin bind directly, as do maskin and elF-4E. While CPEB and maskin remain together during oocyte maturation, the maskin-elF-4E interaction is substantially reduced. The dissolution of this complex may result in the binding of elF-4E to elF-4G and the translational activation of CPE-containing mRNAs.

PubMed ID: 10635326
Article link: Mol Cell


Species referenced: Xenopus laevis
Genes referenced: cpeb1 tacc3