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Abstract
Specific sorting of mRNA molecules to subcellular microdomains is an evolutionarily
conserved mechanism by which the polarized nature of eukayotic cells may be established
and maintained. The molecular composition of the RNA localization machinery is complex.
Sequence motifs within RNA molecules to be transported, called cis-acting elements,
and proteins, referred to as trans-acting factors, are essential components. Transport
of the resulting ribonucleoprotein complexes to distinct cytoplasmic regions occurs
along the cytoskeletal network. The pathway is observed in organisms as diverse as
yeast and human and it plays a critical role in development and cell differentiation.
Moreover, RNA localization takes place in differentiated cell types including neurons.
There is ample evidence to suggest that sorting of defined mRNA species to the neurites
of nerve cells and on-site translation has an impact on various aspects of nerve cell
biology.