08-P020 Investigation of the mitotic function of the ASPM C-terminus through the identification of novel protein interactants

network. This work describes how the transcripts of several non-LTR retrotransposons reach the oocyte nucleus by using the same localisation machinery as endogenous RNAs such as gurken. Visualisation and analysis of I factor retrotransposon localisation reveals that its RNA localises more efficiently than the endogenous gurken transcript. We show here that these differences in localisation efficiency can be directly attributed to the physical properties of structural motifs within the I factor RNA and their effects on RNA–RNA interaction. Not only does the I factor have a localisation motif with 2D structural similarity to the gurken localisation motif but it also contains an adjacent sequence that enhances localisation by promoting ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particle assembly and recognition. We propose a general principle that RNP particle assembly and recognition represents a key regulatory point in the RNA localisation process.