Vasa nucleates asymmetric translation along the mitotic spindle during unequal cell divisions.

Abstract

mRNA translation on the spindle is hypothesized to be an essential strategy for the localized production of cell regulators. This mechanism may be important particularly in early embryonic cells, which have a large diffusion volume and that undergo rapid cell divisions. Evidence to test such a hypothesis has been, however, limited. Here, we use an embryo with both symmetric and asymmetric cell divisions and manipulate Vasa protein, an RNA-helicase, on the spindle in live sea urchin embryos. We learned that the spindle serves as a major site of translation and that protein synthesis within a single spindle can be unequal and help drive asymmetric cell divisions during embryogenesis. Recruiting Vasa to the ectopic sub-cellular region induced a new site of translation, disturbed asymmetric translation on the spindle, and changed the cell fate. Based on these observations, we conclude that Vasa functions in localized translation, which provides a spatiotemporal control in protein synthesis and is essential for rapidly developing embryonic cells.