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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The EMBO Journal

Dynamics of bicoid mRNA localisation and translation dictate morphogen gradient formation

  • Thamarailingam Athilingam1
  • Elise L Wilby2
  • Pierre Bensidoun3
  • Antonio Trullo3
  • Morgane Verbrugghe3
  • Jérémy Dufourt3,4
  • Xingzhu Shi2
  • Mounia Lagha3
  • Timothy E Saunders1
  • Timothy T Weil2
4 affiliations
  1. 1Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL UK
  2. 2Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ UK
  3. 3Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
  4. 4Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), CNRS UMR 9004, Université de Montpellier, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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Abstract

The transcription factor Bicoid (Bcd) protein guides early Drosophila patterning and is the best-characterised morphogen. The source of the morphogen, bcd mRNA, is maternally deposited during oogenesis and localised to the anterior pole. When and where Bcd protein is produced and how this protein gradient is dynamically shaped remains contentious. Here, we use the SunTag reporter system to quantitatively examine the spatiotemporal profile of bcd mRNA translation in vivo. We show that association with Processing bodies (P bodies) in mature oocytes prevent premature bcd mRNA translation. Following egg activation, bcd mRNA dissociates from P bodies and translation is observed at the anterior pole. Translation remains largely restricted to the anterior domain throughout early development. At cellularisation, translation ceases and the remaining bcd mRNA associates with reformed P bodies, which appear to block any further translation. We use these observations to create a new modified synthesis-diffusion-degradation model of Bcd gradient, which is consistent with experimental measurements. Overall, our study reveals that bcd mRNA translation is tightly controlled in space and time during oogenesis and early embryogenesis.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{athilingam2026dynamics,
  title = {{Dynamics of bicoid mRNA localisation and translation dictate morphogen gradient formation}},
  author = {Thamarailingam Athilingam and Elise L Wilby and Pierre Bensidoun and Antonio Trullo and Morgane Verbrugghe and Jérémy Dufourt and Xingzhu Shi and Mounia Lagha and Timothy E Saunders and Timothy T Weil},
  journal = {The EMBO Journal},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1038/s44318-026-00927-5},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s44318-026-00927-5},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Dynamics of bicoid mRNA localisation and translation dictate morphogen gradient formation
AU  - Thamarailingam Athilingam
AU  - Elise L Wilby
AU  - Pierre Bensidoun
AU  - Antonio Trullo
AU  - Morgane Verbrugghe
AU  - Jérémy Dufourt
AU  - Xingzhu Shi
AU  - Mounia Lagha
AU  - Timothy E Saunders
AU  - Timothy T Weil
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/10
JO  - The EMBO Journal
DO  - 10.1038/s44318-026-00927-5
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44318-026-00927-5
AB  - The transcription factor Bicoid (Bcd) protein guides early Drosophila patterning and is the best-characterised morphogen. The source of the morphogen, bcd mRNA, is maternally deposited during oogenesis and localised to the anterior pole. When and where Bcd protein is produced and how this protein gradient is dynamically shaped remains contentious. Here, we use the SunTag reporter system to quantitatively examine the spatiotemporal profile of bcd mRNA translation in vivo. We show that association with Processing bodies (P bodies) in mature oocytes prevent premature bcd mRNA translation. Following egg activation, bcd mRNA dissociates from P bodies and translation is observed at the anterior pole. Translation remains largely restricted to the anterior domain throughout early development. At cellularisation, translation ceases and the remaining bcd mRNA associates with reformed P bodies, which appear to block any further translation. We use these observations to create a new modified synthesis-diffusion-degradation model of Bcd gradient, which is consistent with experimental measurements. Overall, our study reveals that bcd mRNA translation is tightly controlled in space and time during oogenesis and early embryogenesis.
SN  - 0261-4189
SN  - 1460-2075
ER  -