Regulation of hub mRNA stability and translation by miR430 and the dead end protein promotes preferential expression in zebrafish primordial germ cells

The Hu proteins are RNA‐binding proteins known to be involved in various aspects of RNA metabolism, such as nucleo‐cytoplasmic shuttling, translation, and stability. These proteins are predominantly expressed in neuronal tissues and are important for neuronal differentiation and plasticity. Here, we report on the regulation over hub mRNA stability and function in zebrafish embryos. Using reporters encoding for fluorescent proteins, we show that hub RNA is a target of global miRNA‐mediated repression, while the RNA‐binding protein Dead end (Dnd) contributes to maintenance of the expression in the primordial germ cells (PGCs). Developmental Dynamics 240:695–703, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.