GWB home
The number and size of cytoplasmic GW bodies varies during the cell cycle.  HEp-2 cells were costained with the index human anti-GW182 serum (green) and rabbit anti-CENP-F antibody (red). Nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue).
GW bodies (GWBs) are cytoplasmic foci initially identified through the use of an autoimmune serum targeting the marker protein, GW182.  GWBs were first considered as both storage centers for a specific subset of mRNAs and degradation sites for mRNAs.  Interestingly, they are known to vary in size and number throughout the cell cycle and are largest in size and most abundant in number during the late S and G2 phases.  Recent studies have linked RNA interference to GWBs, in that disruption or disassembly of GWBs was demonstrated to impair siRNA and miRNA silencing activity.  As miRNAs are implicated in the regulation of cell cycle progression and cell proliferation, it is very likely that GWBs, the critical intracellular structures for miRNA function, may very well be also linked to this cellular process.
Cell Cycle paper figure 3
Multiple cellular pathways associated with GWBs

Publications:
Eystathioy, T., Chan, E.K.L., Tenenbaum, S.A., Keene, J.D., Griffith, K., and Fritzler, M.J. (2002) A phosphorylated cytoplasmic autoantigen, GW182, associates with a unique population of human mRNAs within novel cytoplasmic speckles. Mol. Biol. Cell 13: 1338-51. PubMed abstract  pdf file (1.58MB)
Eystathioy, T., Chan, E.K.L., Takeuchi, K., Mahler, M., Luft, L.M., Zochodne, D.W., and Fritzler, M.J. (2003) Clinical and serological associations of autoantibodies to GW bodies and a novel cytoplasmic autoantigen GW182. J. Mol. Med., 81:811-818. PubMed abstract  pdf file (676kB)
Eystathioy, T., Jakymiw, A., Chan, E.K.L., Séraphin, B., Cougot, N., and Fritzler, M.J. (2003) The GW182 protein co-localizes with mRNA degradation associated proteins hDcp1 and hLSm4 in cytoplasmic GW bodies. RNA 9:1171-1173. PubMed abstract  pdf file (120kB)
Eystathioy, T., Chan, E.K.L., Mahler, M., Luft, L.M., Fritzler, M.L., and Fritzler, M.J. (2003) A panel of monoclonal antibodies to cytoplasmic GW bodies and the mRNA binding protein GW182. Hybridoma & Hybridomics, 22:79-86. PubMed abstract  pdf file (619kB)
Yang, Z., Jakymiw, A., Wood, M.R., Eystathioy, T., Rubin, R.L., Fritzler, M.J., and Chan, E.K.L. (2004)  GW182 is critical for the stability of GW bodies expressed during the cell cycle and cell proliferation.  J. Cell Science 117:5567-78. PubMed abstract  pdf file (1.96MB)
GWBs movies
Jakymiw, A., Lian, S., Eystathioy, T., Li, S., Satoh, M., Hamel J.C., Fritzler, M.J., and Chan, E.K.L.  (2005) Disruption of GW bodies impairs mammalian RNA Interference.  Nature Cell Biology 7:1167-74. PubMed abstract pdf file (2,087kB)
Lian, S., Jakymiw, A., Eystathioy, T., Hamel, J.C., Fritzler, M.J., and Chan, E.K.L. (2006) GW bodies, microRNAs and the cell cycle.  Cell Cycle 5:242-5. PubMed abstract pdf file (472kB)
Pauley, K.M., Eystathioy, T., Jakymiw, A., Hamel J.C., Fritzler, M.J., and Chan, E.K.L.  (2006) Formation of GW bodies is a consequence of miRNA genesis.  EMBO Reports. 7:904-910 PubMed abstract. 
Ikeda, K., Satoh, M., Pauley, K.M., Fritzler, M.J., Reeves, W.H., and Chan, E.K.L. (2006)  Detection of the argonaute protein Ago2 and microRNAs in the RNA induced silencing complex (RISC) using a monoclonal antibody.  J. Immunol. Methods, 317:38-44. PubMed abstract. 
Jakymiw, A., Pauley, K.M., Li, S., Lian, S., Ikeda, K., Eystathioy, T., Satoh, M., Fritzler, M.J., and Chan, E.K.L. (2007) The role of GW/P-bodies in RNA processing and silencing.  J. Cell Sci., 120:1317-23.  PubMed abstract.
Lian, S., Fritzler, M.J., Katz, J., Hamazaki, T., Terada, N., Satoh, M., and Chan, E.K.L.  (2007) Small interfering RNA-mediated silencing induces target-dependent assembly of GW/P bodies.  Mol. Biol. Cell, 18:3375-87. PubMed abstract.
Bhanji, R.A., Eystathioy, T., Chan, E.K.L., Bloch, D.B., and Fritzler, M.J. (2007)  Clinical and serological features of patients with autoantibodies to GW/P Bodies. Clin. Immunol., 125:247-25. PubMed abstract.
Moser, J.J., Eystathioy, T., Chan, E.K.L., and Fritzler, M.J.  (2007) Markers of mRNA stabilization, degradation and RNAi within astrocytoma GW bodies.  J. Neuroscience Research, 85:3619-3631. PubMed abstract.
12/2007