Ephrussi lab

The Ephrussi lab combines biochemistry, genetics, imaging, and transcriptomics to understand how mRNPs competent for intracellular localisation are assembled, transported and anchored within polarized cells. We also study the mechanisms that ensure translational repression of mRNAs during their transport and translational activation at their target site. We use as our main model Drosophila melanogaster, whose normal embryonic development requires the localization and local translation of mRNAs encoding key patterning determinants.

We participate in the FOR2333 Research Unit through the project: "mRNP assembly and remodeling for transport and translational control in the Drosophila oocyte". The project is divided in two parts:

Part 1: "Engagement of the Exon Junction Complex in mRNA transport in Drosophila", in which we seek to understand the involvement of the EJC in mRNA transport transcriptome-wide in the fly.

Part 2: "Decoding transport mRNPs", in which we aim to determine the comparative RNA-associated proteomes of oskar, bicoid, nanos and gurken mRNPs, while they are undergoing transport and repressed, and once they are localized and translated.

Selected publications by the Ephrussi lab include:

• Obrdlik et al. Cell Rep 28: 1219-1236 (2019) [pubmed]
• Halstead et al. Science 347: 1367-1671 (2015) [pubmed]
• Ghosh et al. Nature Struct Mol Biol 19: 441-449. (2012) [pubmed]
• Chekulaeva et al. Cell 124: 521–533 (2006) [pubmed]
• Hachet and Ephrussi Nature 28: 959-963 (2004) [pubmed]