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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

An important role for RNase R in mRNA decay.

mRNA decay is a major determinant of gene expression. In Escherichia coli, message degradation initiates with an endoribonucleolytic cleavage followed by exoribonuclease digestion to generate 5'-mononucleotides. Although the 3' to 5' processive exoribonucleases, PNPase and RNase II, have long been considered to be mediators of this digestion, we show here that another enzyme, RNase R, also participates in the process. RNase R is particularly important for removing mRNA fragments with extensive secondary structure, such as those derived from the many mRNAs that contain REP elements. In the absence of RNase R and PNPase, REP-containing fragments accumulate to high levels. RNase R is unusual among exoribonucleases in that, by itself, it can digest through extensive secondary structure provided that a single-stranded binding region, such as a poly(A) tail, is present. These data demonstrate that RNase R, which is widespread in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, is an important participant in mRNA decay.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Scavenger decapping activity facilitates 5' to 3' mRNA decay.

mRNA degradation occurs through distinct pathways, one primarily from the 5' end of the mRNA and the second from the 3' end. Decay from the 3' end generates the m7GpppN cap dinucleotide, which is subsequently hydrolyzed to m7Gp and ppN in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by a scavenger decapping activity termed Dcs1p. Although Dcs1p functions in the last step of mRNA turnover, we demonstrate that its activity modulates earlier steps of mRNA decay. Disruption of the DCS1 gene manifests a threefold increase of the TIF51A mRNA half-life. Interestingly, the hydrolytic activity of Dcs1p was essential for the altered mRNA turnover, as Dcs1p, but not a catalytically inactive Dcs1p mutant, complemented the increased mRNA stability. Mechanistic analysis revealed that 5' to 3' exoribonucleolytic activity was impeded in the dcs1Delta strain, resulting in the accumulation of uncapped mRNA. These data define a new role for the Dcs1p scavenger decapping enzyme and demonstrate a novel mechanism whereby the final step in the 3' mRNA decay pathway can influence 5' to 3' exoribonucleolytic activity.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed2001

Characterization of a general stabilizer element that blocks deadenylation-dependent mRNA decay.

mRNA degradation is a regulated process that can play an important role in determining the level of expression of specific genes. The rate at which a specific mRNA is degraded depends largely on specific cis-acting sequences located throughout the transcript. cis-Acting destabilizer sequences that promote increased rates of decay have been identified in several short-lived mRNAs. However, little is known about elements that promote stability, known as stabilizer elements (STEs), and how they function. The work presented here describes the characterization of a STE in the PGK1 transcript. The PGK1 stabilizer element (P-STE) has been delineated to a 64-nucleotide sequence from the coding region that can stabilize a chimeric transcript containing the instability elements from the 3'-untranslated region of the MFA2 transcript. The P-STE is located within the PGK1 coding region and functions when located in the translated portion of the transcript and at a minimum distance from the 3'-untranslated region. These results further support the link between translation and mRNA degradation. A conserved sequence in the TEF1/2 transcript has been identified that also functions as a STE, suggesting that this sequence element maybe a general stability determinant found in other yeast mRNAs.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed1999

Oligoribonuclease is an essential component of the mRNA decay pathway.

mRNA decay in prokaryotic cells involves the action of both endo- and exoribonucleases. In Escherichia coli, degradation of RNA to the mononucleotide level was thought to depend on RNase II and polynucleotide phosphorylase. Here, we show that the enzyme oligoribonuclease is an essential part of this process as well. Thus, inactivation of the orn gene encoding oligoribonuclease leads to a cessation of cell growth. Moreover, although pulse-labeled RNA decays normally in orn mutant cells under nonpermissive conditions, a large fraction of the resulting products is small oligoribonucleotides rather than the mononucleotides generated in wild-type cells. The oligoribonucleotides that accumulate are 2-5 residues in length; longer molecules disappear during the decay process. These data indicate that oligoribonuclease is required to complete the degradation of mRNA to mononucleotides and that this process is required for cell viability. Inasmuch as close homologues of the orn gene are found in a wide range of eukaryotes, extending up to humans, these findings raise the possibility that oligoribonuclease also participates in mRNA degradation in these organisms.

Chromosomes, Bacterial↗
PubMed1995

mRNA decay in spinach chloroplasts: psbA mRNA degradation is initiated by endonucleolytic cleavages within the coding region.

The expression of chloroplast genes during leaf development in higher plants is regulated on several levels as transcription, RNA processing and stability, protein stability and turnover. Differential mRNA stability is one major component which contributes to the developmentally controlled accumulation of higher plant chloroplast psbA mRNA, which encodes the D1 protein of photosystem II. To understand the molecular mechanisms of specific mRNA degradation an in vitro mRNA decay system based on lysed chloroplasts from spinach leaves was established. Employing this degradation extract the decay of psbA mRNA was analyzed. Half-life of the psbA mRNA in vitro is dependent on the degradation conditions as the presence of Mg2+, which was found to stabilize the mRNA. Addition of tRNA stabilizes the mRNA and allows the accumulation of distinct degradation intermediates. psbA mRNA derived fragments of the same size were detected in degradation experiments in vitro, in organello and in vivo. 5' ends of the degradation intermediates were identified by primer extension and found to be localized in the 5' part of the coding region. The data indicate a degradation mechanism involving initiation of psbA mRNA decay by specific endonucleolytic cleavage and subsequent exonucleolytic degradation of the fragments. Possible models for cleavage site recognition are discussed.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Complexes between the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway factor human upf1 (up-frameshift protein 1) and essential nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factors in HeLa cells.

mRNAs harbouring premature translation-termination codons are usually degraded by the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway. Human up-frameshift protein 1 (Hupf1) is an NMD factor that is conserved between yeast and mammals. To isolate cellular complexes that are formed with Hupf1 and to explore the role of cellular proteins in NMD, we generated a HeLa cell line that stably expresses Hupf1 bearing a double-affinity tag (termed Hupf1-2tag). Hupf1-2tag is localized in the cytoplasm similar to the endogenous Hupf1 protein, and the Hupf1-2tag cell line is fully NMD-competent. Using affinity chromatography, Hupf1-2tag-associated proteins were isolated. MS and immunoblotting identified the NMD factors Hupf2 and Hupf3a/b as interaction partners of Hupf1. Size-exclusion chromatography indicates that the NMD factors Hupf1, Hupf2 and the large isoform of Hupf3a might exist in a stable, high-molecular-mass complex of approx. 1.3 MDa. Interestingly, the poly(A)-binding protein was also identified by MS to be associated specifically with Hupf1-2tag. In contrast with the interaction with Hupf2 and Hupf3a/b, the association of poly(A)-binding protein with Hupf1 is highly sensitive to treatment of the isolated complexes with RNase. Components of the exon-exon junction complex or the translational eukaryotic release factor (eRF) 3 were not identified in complexes associated with Hupf1-2tag. We discuss these findings in the context of current models of NMD.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Mechanistic links between nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and pre-mRNA splicing in mammalian cells.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) generally involves nonsense codon recognition by translating ribosomes at a position approximately 25 nts upstream of a splicing-generated exon junction complex of proteins. As such, NMD provides a means to degrade abnormal mRNAs that encode potentially deleterious truncated proteins. Additionally, an estimated one-third of naturally occurring, alternatively spliced mRNAs is also targeted for NMD. Given the extraordinary frequency of alternative splicing together with data indicating that naturally occurring transcripts other than alternatively spliced mRNAs are likewise targeted for NMD, it is believed that mammalian cells routinely utilize NMD to achieve proper levels of gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Linking mRNA turnover and translation: assessing the polyribosomal association of mRNA decay factors and degradative intermediates.

mRNA decay is a multistep process, often dependent on the active translation of an mRNA and on components of the translation apparatus. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, several trans-acting factors required for mRNA decay associate with polyribosomes. We have explored the specificity of the interactions of these factors with polyribosomes, using sucrose gradient sedimentation analysis of the yeast UPF1 protein to test whether such interactions are altered when polyribosomes are disrupted by treatment with EDTA, digestion with micrococcal nuclease, or shifting of cells containing a temperature-sensitive eIF3 mutation to the nonpermissive temperature. These experiments, as well as others assaying the strength of factor association in high-salt sucrose gradients, lead us to conclude that Upf1p is tightly bound to the smallest polyribosomes, but not to the 40S or 60S ribosomal subunits. Similar experimental approaches were used to determine whether mRNA decay initiates prior to mRNA release from polyribosomes. Using sucrose gradient fractionation and Northern blotting, we can detect the polysomal association of a PGK1 mRNA decay intermediate and conclude that mRNA decay commences while an mRNA is still being translated.

Genetic Techniques↗
PubMed2006

Essential role of 3'-untranslated region-mediated mRNA decay in circadian oscillations of mouse Period3 mRNA.

Daily oscillations in mRNA levels are a general feature of most clock genes. Although mRNA oscillations largely depend on transcriptional regulation, it has been suggested that post-transcriptional controls also contribute to mRNA oscillations in Drosophila. Currently, however, there is no direct evidence for post-transcriptional regulation of mammalian clock genes. To investigate the roles of post-transcriptional regulations, we focused on the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of mouse Period3 (mPer3) mRNA, one of the clock genes. Insertion of the entire mPer3 3'-UTR downstream of a reporter gene resulted in a dramatic decrease in mRNA stability. Deletion and point mutation analyses led to the identification of critical sequences responsible for mRNA decay. To explore the effects of the mPer3 3'-UTR-mediated mRNA decay on circadian oscillations, we established NIH3T3 stable cell lines that express luciferase mRNA with wild-type or mutant mPer3 3'-UTR. Interestingly, a stabilizing mutation of 3'-UTR induced a significant alteration in the oscillation profile of luciferase mRNA. Above all, the peak time, during which the mRNAs reached their highest levels, was significantly delayed (for 12 h). In addition, the luciferase mRNA level with mutant 3'-UTR began to increase earlier than that in the presence of wild-type 3'-UTR. Consequently, luciferase mRNA with mutant 3'-UTR displayed oscillation patterns with a prolonged rising phase. Our results indicate that mPer3 3'-UTR-mediated mRNA decay plays an essential role in mRNA cycling and provide direct evidence for post-transcriptional control of circadian mRNA oscillations.

3' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2004

SMG7 acts as a molecular link between mRNA surveillance and mRNA decay.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a surveillance mechanism that eliminates mRNAs containing premature termination codons (PTCs). The proteins UPF1, SMG5, SMG6, and SMG7 are essential NMD factors in metazoa. SMG5 and SMG7 form a complex with UPF1 and interact with each other via their N-terminal domains. Here we show that SMG5 and SMG7 colocalize in cytoplasmic mRNA decay bodies, while SMG6 forms separate cytoplasmic foci. When SMG7 is tethered to a reporter transcript, it elicits its degradation, bypassing the requirement for a PTC, UPF1, SMG5, or SMG6. This activity is mediated by the C-terminal domain of SMG7. In contrast, SMG5 requires SMG7 to trigger mRNA decay and to localize to decay bodies. Our findings indicate that SMG7 provides a link between the NMD and the mRNA degradation machinery by interacting with SMG5 and UPF1 via its N-terminal domain and targeting bound transcripts for decay via its C-terminal domain.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2003

DcpS can act in the 5'-3' mRNA decay pathway in addition to the 3'-5' pathway.

Eukaryotic mRNA degradation proceeds through two main pathways, both involving mRNA cap breakdown. In the 3'-5' mRNA decay pathway, mRNA body degradation generates free m7GpppN that is hydrolyzed by DcpS generating m7GMP. In the 5'-3' pathway, the recently identified human Dcp2 decapping enzyme cleaves the cap of deadenylated mRNAs to produce m7GDP and 5'-phosphorylated mRNA. We investigated mRNA decay in human cell extracts by using a new assay for decapping. We observed that 5'-phosphorylated intermediates resulting from decapping appear after incubation of a substrate RNA in human cell extracts, indicating the presence of an active 5'-3' mRNA decay pathway. Surprisingly, however, the cognate m7GDP product was not detected, whereas abundant amounts of m7GMP were generated. Additional experiments revealed that m7GDP is, unexpectedly, efficiently converted to m7GMP in extracts from various organisms. The factor necessary and sufficient for this reaction was identified as DcpS in both yeast and human. m7GMP is thus a general, pathway-independent, by-product of eukaryotic mRNA decay. m7GDP breakdown should prevent misincorporation of methylated nucleotides in nucleic acids and could generate a unique indicator allowing the cell to monitor mRNA decay.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Active Site Assembly by SMG5 as a Mechanism for SMG6 Endonuclease Licencing in Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a conserved eukaryotic surveillance pathway that eliminates transcripts containing premature termination codons (PTCs). Substantial progress has been made in defining the transcript features that mark aberrant translation termination for NMD activation, yet key mechanistic steps remain incompletely understood - including how recruitment of the central NMD factor UPF1 is coupled to the downstream effector phase in which targeted mRNAs are nucleolytically degraded. In metazoans, NMD employs an endonucleolytic route mediated by SMG6, a PIN-domain nuclease, alongside SMG5 and SMG7, which act downstream of PTC recognition. SMG5 has recently been proposed to licence SMG6 activity, yet the molecular basis of this licencing has remained elusive. Here, we combine AlphaFold structural predictions with biochemical assays to investigate interactions among human SMG5, SMG6, and SMG7. Structural models predict a high-confidence interface between SMG5 and SMG6 PIN domains that forms a composite active site: a conserved SMG5 aspartate (D893) complements the SMG6 acidic triad to reinstate the canonical tetrad required for PIN-domain catalysis. In vitro, SMG6 alone exhibits weak endonucleolytic activity, which is enhanced ∼10-fold by the SMG5 PIN domain. Mutational analyses confirm that conserved residues from both proteins are essential for this composite configuration. Our findings reveal that the SMG5 PIN domain, previously considered catalytically inert, plays a critical role in activating SMG6 by completing its active site. This work provides mechanistic insight into the SMG5-dependent licencing step and uncovers a composite PIN nuclease architecture at the heart of the metazoan NMD effector phase.

Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay↗
PubMed2000

Emerging features of mRNA decay in bacteria.

The problem of mRNA decay in E. coli has recently seen exciting progress, with the discoveries that key degradation enzymes are associated together in a high molecular weight degradosome and that polyadenylation promotes decay. Recent advances make it clear that mRNA decay in bacteria is far more interesting enzymatically than might have been predicted. In-depth study of specific mRNAs has revealed multiple pathways for degradation. Which pathway a given mRNA follows appears to depend in large part on the location of the initiating endonucleolytic cleavage within the mRNA. During the steps of mRNA decay, stable RNA structures pose formidable barriers to the 3' --> 5' exonucleases. However, polyadenylation is now emerging as a process that plays an important role in maintaining the momentum of exonucleolytic degradation by adding single-stranded extensions to the 3' ends of mRNAs and their decay intermediates, thereby facilitating further exonuclease digestion.

Escherichia coli↗
PubMed1996

Interrelationships of the pathways of mRNA decay and translation in eukaryotic cells.

While the potential importance of mRNA stability to the regulation of gene expression has been recognized, the structures and mechanisms involved in the determination of individual mRNA decay rates have just begun to be elucidated, particularly in mammalian systems and yeast. It is now well established that mRNA decay is not a default process, in which an array of nonspecific nucleases degrades indiscriminately based on target size or ribosome protection of the substrate. Rather, like transcription, RNA processing, and translation, mRNA decay is a precise process dependent on a variety of specific cis-acting sequences and trans-acting factors. Entry into the pathways of mRNA decay is triggered by at least three types of initiating event: poly(A) shortening, arrest of translation at a premature nonsense codon, and endonucleolytic cleavage. Steps subsequent to poly(A) shortening or premature translational termination converge in a pathway that progresses from removal of the 5' cap to exonucleolytic digestion of the body of the mRNA. mRNA fragments generated by endonucleolytic cleavage are most likely removed by exonucleolytic decay as well, but these events have not been characterized in detail. Nucleases and other factors (including mRNA sequence elements and autoregulatory proteins) required for the promotion or inhibition of these pathways have been identified by both biochemical and genetic methods and systematic attempts to understand their respective roles have begun. mRNA sequences whose presence or absence has marked effects on mRNA decay rates include the ubiquitous cap and poly(A) tail, sequences that comprise endonuclease cleavage sites, and sequences that promote poly(A) shortening. The latter are found in the 3'-UTR (untranslated region) and in coding regions. Evidence that poly(A) stimulates translation initiation, that some destabilization sequences must be translated in order to function, and that premature translation termination promotes rapid mRNA decay indicates a close linkage between the elements regulating mRNA decay and components of the protein synthesis apparatus. This linkage, and other data, leads us to propose a model for a functional mRNP. In this model, interactions between factors associated with opposite ends of an mRNA stimulate translation initiation and minimize the rate of entry into the pathways of mRNA decay. Events that initiate mRNA decay are postulated to be those that can disrupt this functional complex and create substrates for exonucleolytic digestion.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Recruitment and activation of mRNA decay enzymes by two ARE-mediated decay activation domains in the proteins TTP and BRF-1.

In human cells, a critical pathway in gene regulation subjects mRNAs with AU-rich elements (AREs) to rapid decay by a poorly understood process. AREs have been shown to directly activate deadenylation, decapping, or 3'-to-5' exonucleolytic decay. We demonstrate that enzymes involved in all three of these mRNA decay processes, as well as 5'-to-3' exonucleolytic decay, associate with the protein tristetraprolin (TTP) and its homolog BRF-1, which bind AREs and activate mRNA decay. TTP and BRF-1 each contain two activation domains that can activate mRNA decay after fusion to a heterologous RNA-binding protein, and inhibit ARE-mediated mRNA decay when overexpressed. Both activation domains employ trans-acting factors to trigger mRNA decay, and the N-terminal activation domain functions as a binding platform for mRNA decay enzymes. Our data suggest that the TTP protein family functions as a molecular link between ARE-containing mRNAs and the mRNA decay machinery by recruitment of mRNA decay enzymes, and help explain how deadenylation, decapping, and exonucleolytic decay can all be independently activated on ARE-containing mRNAs. This describes a potentially regulated step in activation of mRNA decay.

Butyrate Response Factor 1↗
PubMed2005

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factors act in concert to regulate common mRNA targets.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a surveillance pathway that degrades mRNAs containing nonsense codons, and regulates the expression of naturally occurring transcripts. While NMD is not essential in yeast or nematodes, UPF1, a key NMD effector, is essential in mice. Here we show that NMD components are required for cell proliferation in Drosophila. This raises the question of whether NMD effectors diverged functionally during evolution. To address this question, we examined expression profiles in Drosophila cells depleted of all known metazoan NMD components. We show that UPF1, UPF2, UPF3, SMG1, SMG5, and SMG6 regulate in concert the expression of a cohort of genes with functions in a wide range of cellular activities, including cell cycle progression. Only a few transcripts were regulated exclusively by individual factors, suggesting that these proteins act mainly in the NMD pathway and their role in mRNA decay has not diverged substantially. Finally, the vast majority of NMD targets in Drosophila are not orthologs of targets previously identified in yeast or human cells. Thus phenotypic differences observed across species following inhibition of NMD can be largely attributed to changes in the repertoire of regulated genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Accelerated mRNA decay in conditional mutants of yeast mRNA capping enzyme.

Current models of mRNA decay in yeast posit that 3' deadenylation precedes enzymatic removal of the 5' cap, which then exposes the naked end to 5' exonuclease action. Here, we analyzed gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells bearing conditional mutations of Ceg1 (capping enzyme), a 52 kDa protein that transfers GMP from GTP to the 5' end of mRNA to form the GpppN cap structure. Shift of ceg1 mutants to restrictive temperature elicited a rapid decline in the rate of protein synthesis, which correlated with a sharp reduction in the steady-state levels of multiple individual mRNAs. ceg1 mutations prevented the accumulation of SSA1 and SSA4 mRNAs that were newly synthesized at the restrictive temperature. Uncapped poly(A)+ SSA4 mRNA accumulated in cells lacking the 5' exoribonuclease Xrn1. These findings provide genetic evidence for the long-held idea that the cap guanylate is critical for mRNA stability. The deadenylation-decapping-degradation pathway appears to be short-circuited when Ceg1 is inactivated.

Exoribonucleases↗
PubMed2006

Binding of a novel SMG-1-Upf1-eRF1-eRF3 complex (SURF) to the exon junction complex triggers Upf1 phosphorylation and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a surveillance mechanism that degrades mRNA containing premature termination codons (PTCs). In mammalian cells, recognition of PTCs requires translation and depends on the presence on the mRNA with the splicing-dependent exon junction complex (EJC). While it is known that a key event in the triggering of NMD is phosphorylation of the trans-acting factor, Upf1, by SMG-1, the relationship between Upf1 phosphorylation and PTC recognition remains undetermined. Here we show that SMG-1 binds to the mRNA-associated components of the EJC, Upf2, Upf3b, eIF4A3, Magoh, and Y14. Further, we describe a novel complex that contains the NMD factors SMG-1 and Upf1, and the translation termination release factors eRF1 and eRF3 (SURF). Importantly, an association between SURF and the EJC is required for SMG-1-mediated Upf1 phosphorylation and NMD. Thus, the SMG-1-mediated phosphorylation of Upf1 occurs on the association of SURF with EJC, which provides the link between the EJC and recognition of PTCs and triggers NMD.

Codon, Nonsense↗