Cotranslational transport of ABP140 mRNA to the distal pole of S. cerevisiae

In budding yeast, several mRNAs are selectively transported into the daughter cell in an actin-dependent manner by a specialized myosin system, the SHE machinery. With ABP140 mRNA, we now describe the first mRNA that is transported in the opposite direction and localizes to the distal pole of the mother cell, independent of the SHE machinery. Distal pole localization is not observed in mutants devoid of actin cables and can be disrupted by latrunculin A. Furthermore, localization of ABP140 mRNA requires the N-terminal actin-binding domain of Abp140p to be expressed. By replacing the N-terminal localization motif, ABP140 mRNA can be retargeted to different subcellular structures. In addition, accumulation of the mRNA at the distal pole can be prevented by disruption of polysomes. Using the MS2 system, the mRNA was found to associate with actin cables and to follow actin cable dynamics. We therefore propose a model of translational coupling, in which ABP140 mRNA is tethered to actin cables via its nascent protein product and is transported to the distal pole by actin retrograde flow.