Fig. 1. Processes that determine whether maternally loaded RNAs are translated.

During the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT), maternally loaded RNAs are degraded, and zygotic transcription begins. Whether or not an RNA is translated depends on the availability and activity of the translation machinery (1) as well as on the availability (2) and accessibility (3) of the transcript itself. Shown are mechanisms known to be involved in these processes.