About this Research Topic
Recent striking results provide compelling evidence that membrane traffic and mRNA transport are interconnected processes, which share common pathways and can be affected by the same extracellular signals and mediated by common factors. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly apparent that multiple mRNAs coding for proteins that operate in the same cellular process can be transported together in large granules in a molecular motor-dependent fashion along cytoskeletal tracks, allowing coordinated translation at specific sites. Furthermore, mRNA-binding proteins function as key regulators of local translation; protein-protein, protein-lipid as well as mRNA-protein interactions change due to post-translational modifications in a response to signaling events.
Co-transport of vesicles or organelles with mRNA provides a means to coordinate several processes in space and time, particularly in polarized cells. However, little is known about the regulation of this coordinated transport and the subsequent translation of the transported mRNAs. It appears that although some of the players of these processes have been pinpointed, many more are still to be identified. Furthermore, how these players may regulate translation of specific mRNAs is largely unknown. Since many neurodegenerative disorders turn out to be intimately linked to malfunctioning of these processes, it is timely and interesting to learn more about this emerging link between mRNA transport processes and the dynamics of vesicle and organelles.
This Research Topic welcomes Review and Original Research articles aiming to address the following points:
• How is vesicle/organelle-mRNA co-transport coordinated and regulated?
• What are the players involved in vesicle/organelle-mRNA transport and/or translation?
• How is vesicle and organelle trafficking coordinated with mRNA transport and/or translation?
• What are the most important new concepts to cell biology in this context?
• What are the cell type-specific functions, for instance in neurons and other polarized cells compared to non-polarized cells?
• How does malfunctioning in the above processes contribute to pathological conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders?
Co-transport of vesicles or organelles with mRNA provides a means to coordinate several processes in space and time, particularly in polarized cells. However, little is known about the regulation of this coordinated transport and the subsequent translation of the transported mRNAs. It appears that although some of the players of these processes have been pinpointed, many more are still to be identified. Furthermore, how these players may regulate translation of specific mRNAs is largely unknown. Since many neurodegenerative disorders turn out to be intimately linked to malfunctioning of these processes, it is timely and interesting to learn more about this emerging link between mRNA transport processes and the dynamics of vesicle and organelles.
This Research Topic welcomes Review and Original Research articles aiming to address the following points:
• How is vesicle/organelle-mRNA co-transport coordinated and regulated?
• What are the players involved in vesicle/organelle-mRNA transport and/or translation?
• How is vesicle and organelle trafficking coordinated with mRNA transport and/or translation?
• What are the most important new concepts to cell biology in this context?
• What are the cell type-specific functions, for instance in neurons and other polarized cells compared to non-polarized cells?
• How does malfunctioning in the above processes contribute to pathological conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders?
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
