Staufen (protein)
Encyclopedia
Staufen is a protein
product of a maternally expressed gene
in Drosophila melanogaster
that has been implicated in helping regulate genes important in determination of gradients that set up the anterior posterior axis such as bicoid and oskar
. It is involved in targeting of the messenger RNA
encoding these genes to the correct pole of the egg cell.
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
product of a maternally expressed gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
in Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
that has been implicated in helping regulate genes important in determination of gradients that set up the anterior posterior axis such as bicoid and oskar
Oskar
oskar is a gene required for the development of the Drosophila embryo. It defines the posterior pole during early embryogenesis....
. It is involved in targeting of the messenger RNA
Messenger RNA
Messenger RNA is a molecule of RNA encoding a chemical "blueprint" for a protein product. mRNA is transcribed from a DNA template, and carries coding information to the sites of protein synthesis: the ribosomes. Here, the nucleic acid polymer is translated into a polymer of amino acids: a protein...
encoding these genes to the correct pole of the egg cell.