title: The poly(A) tail of mRNAs: bodyguard in eukaryotes, scavenger in bacteria.
abstract: In eukaryotes, poly(A) tails usually act as stabilizers of intact mRNAs, whereas in E. coli they serve to accelerate the destruction of fragments. The mechanisms underlying these contrasting effects of the same RNA modification are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS UMR8541, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75230, Paris, France. mdreyfus@biologie.ens.fr
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dreyfus
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Régnier
mesh_terms: D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005095:Exoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D011061:Poly A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D039102:Poly(A)-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D039102:Poly(A)-Binding Proteins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011061:Poly A; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D005095:Exoribonucleases; C022537:ribonuclease E