Foci formed within cells as a consequence of microtubule-destabilizing conditions are P-bodies. Wild-type cells were transformed with plasmids encoding DHH1-GFP and DCP2-RFP, and cultures of these cells were treated with DMSO alone (A) or benomyl (B), and then cells were imaged by fluorescence microscopy. The MFA2-pG-MS2 reporter used to detect the intermediate of mRNA decay is diagrammed in C. The poly(G) tract provides an efficient block to Xrn1p-catalyzed 5′–3′ exonucleolytic digestion of the mRNA. The MS2-binding sites are bound by MS2-GFP, thus allowing visualization of the reporter. Wild-type cells were transformed with MFA2-pG-MS2, MS2-GFP, and DCP2-RFP (all encoded on plasmids), and cultures of these cells were treated with DMSO alone (D) or benomyl (E), and then the cells were imaged by fluorescence microscopy.
