Book Description

The regulation of mRNA translation and degradation is essential for proper gene expression. In eukaryotes, a major mRNA degradation pathway is initiated by deadenylation, followed by decapping, and ultimately 5'-3' exonucleolytic digestion. Removal of the mRNA 5' cap is an irreversible step in mRNA degradation, and is postulated to require dissociation of the mRNA from the ribosomes and packaging into sub-cellular, ribosome-free granules termed P-bodies. Based on this and other observations, a "two-step" model of eukaryotic mRNA degradation had been proposed that mRNA translation and degradation occur in different compartments within the cell. Recent findings suggest, however, that mRNA degradation may occur independent of P-bodies. Consequently, an important but unresolved issue in the field is to determine the context in which mRNA is degraded. In my study, I have demonstrated that the three steps of mRNA decay, deadenylation, decapping, and 5'-3' exonucleolytic digestion, occur co-translationally. Specifically, mRNA deadenylation does not lead to ribosome dissociation. Second, I found that decapped mRNA mainly bound to polyribosomes, suggesting that decapping occurs during translation. In addition, using kinetic analysis, I demonstrated that mRNA decapping is initiated while the mRNA is on polyribosomes. Third, I observed that in wild-type cells, exonucleolytic decay fragments are polyribosome associated when ribosome transit is slowed in cis. Lastly, using an innovative assay I designed, I detected decapping products from endogenous mRNAs mainly on polyribosomes in wild type cells. These results clearly demonstrate that under normal physiological conditions, mRNA degradation occurs while the mRNA is still associated with ribosomes. In addition to the normal mRNA turnover pathway, I observed that mRNA decapping triggered by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, an important mRNA quality control mechanism, also occurs on polyribosomes. Collectively, these results indicate that polyribosomes are the major sites for destroying both normal and aberrant mRNAs within eukaryotic cells