The mammalian nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway: To decay or not to decay! Which players make the decision?

Silva, Ana Luísa; Romão, Luísa

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2008.12.058

« Previous Next »FEBS Letters
Volume 583, Issue 3 , Pages 499-505, 4 February 2009

The mammalian nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway: To decay or not to decay! Which players make the decision?

Edited by Michael Ibba

Centro de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Av. Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal

Received 19 November 2008; received in revised form 11 December 2008; accepted 26 December 2008. published online 21 January 2009.

Abstract

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) degrades mRNAs carrying premature translation termination codons (PTCs). Although the core process and several NMD effectors are conserved among species, the involvement of a splicing-dependent signal seems to be specific for mammalian PTC definition. Still, recent data shed new light on physical parameters and mechanistic pathways involved in NMD. Here, we examine these findings, updating the roles for potential NMD players, such as the exon junction complex and the cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein 1 – the former acting as enhancer rather than an essential factor and the latter functioning as NMD repressor.

Keywords: Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, Premature translation termination codon, RNA–protein interaction, NMD factor, Poly(A)-binding protein