Abstract

The mechanisms used to establish embryonic polarity are still largely unknown. A recent paper(1) describes the expression pattern of the gene glp‐1, which is required for induction events during development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Although glp‐1 RNA is found throughout the early embryo, Glp‐1 protein is only expressed in anterior cells. This negative translational regulation in posterior cells is shown to be mediated through sequences in the glp‐1 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR). Thus in nematodes, as in Drosophila, translational repression is one mechanism used to establish the embryonic anterior‐posterior axis.