A protein-production tale of the tape: Separating poly(A)-tail length from translational efficiency

(Phys.org) —In higher animals, an embryo's protein production immediately after fertilization relies on messenger RNAs (mRNAs) inherited from the mother. But shortly thereafter, the tiny organism undergoes a profound shift as it activates the transcription of its own genome during the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). Whitehead Institute researchers have now determined that another shift—a change in how mRNA translation is controlled—happens shortly after this same point in development.