Regulation of microtubule protein synthesis in embryos of the marine snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta

Abstract

Synthesis of microtubule protein is not detectable in 1-day-old embryos of the snail Ilyanassa obsoleta but is readily detectable after 2 days of development. Microtubule protein synthesis then increases for several days thereafter. Continuous culture of embryos in 25 μg/ml of actinomycin D, an amount sufficient to abolish incorporation of [ 3H]uridine into high molecular weight RNA, blocks ciliation of embryos but has no effect upon microtubule protein synthesis. A mechanism for the selection of microtubule protein mRNA for translation at the appropriate developmental stage appears to exist. The timing of microtubule protein synthesis may be coordinated with ciliogenesis, but it is not coupled to it.