Circadian regulation of cytoplasmic RNA granules

GARBARINO PICO E

Tunuyán, Mendoza

Workshop; Workshop Pre Latin American Symposium on Chronobiology; 2013

In recent years, the importance of posttranscriptional processes in the regulation of gene expression has been revalued. New cytoplasmic structures have been described as Stress granules (SG) and Processing bodies (P-bodies). They are microscopically visible foci formed by mRNAs, translation factors, RNA-binding proteins, and other factors involved in the processing of messengers in the cytoplasm. SG and P-bodies are intimately related to mRNA translation, degradation, transport, and storage. We found that both SG as P-bodies display circadian changes in number and size, as well as some of its components. Are the transcripts of clock genes or clock controlled genes processed in these foci? How important are they in the circadian regulation of gene expression? How significant is the temporally control of SG in the clock modulation of the stress response? These are some of the questions that currently occupy our thoughts.