Unmasking the role of the 3' UTR in the cytoplasmic polyadenylation and translational regulation of maternal mRNAs.

The poly(A)-dependent translational regulation of maternal mRNAs is an important mechanism to execute stage-specific programs of protein synthesis during early development. This control underlies many crucial developmental events including the meiotic maturation of oocytes and activation of the mitotic cell cycle at fertilization. A recent report demonstrates that the 3' untranslated region of the cyclin A1, B1, B2 and c-mos mRNAs determines the timing and extent of their cytoplasmic polyadenylation and translational activation during Xenopus oocyte maturation. These studies further establish that protein synthesis can be temporally and quantitatively controlled by developmentally regulated changes in the polyadenylation of maternal mRNAs.