Endosome-mRNA association in developing neurons

RNA localization is a highly conserved process allowing spatial and temporal control of the proteome. This regulation is particularly important in morphologically complex cells, such as neurons, where the precise expression of specific proteins is necessary for highly compartmentalized functions. In recent years, the discovery that multiple organelles directly contribute to mRNA localization and translation has changed our perspective on how specific transcripts are regulated at the subcellular level. Here, I will discuss our findings on mRNA association with endosomes in neurons. By combining advanced sequencing and imaging methods, we identified hundreds of mRNA molecules associated with endosomal compartments and obtained new insights into RNA-endosome dynamics. Our work further supports the idea that these associations play a pivotal role in endosome biogenesis and turnover and directly regulate the polarized distribution of specific transcripts during neuronal development.