Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in mammalian cells involves decapping, deadenylating, and exonucleolytic activities.
Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a mechanism by which cells recognize and degrade mRNAs that prematurely terminate translation. To date, the polarity and enzymology of NMD in mammalian cells is unknown. We show here that downregulating the Dcp2 decapping protein or the PM/Scl100 component of the exosome (1) significantly increases the abundance of steady-state nonsense-containing but not nonsense-free mRNAs, and (2) significantly slows the decay rate of transiently induced nonsense-containing but not nonsense-free mRNA. Downregulating poly(A) ribonuclease (PARN) also increases the abundance of nonsense-containing mRNAs. Furthermore, NMD factors Upf1, Upf2, and Upf3X coimmunopurify with the decapping enzyme Dcp2, the putative 5'-->3' exonuclease Rat1, the proven 5'-->3' exonuclease Xrn1, exosomal components PM/Scl100, Rrp4, and Rrp41, and PARN. From these and other data, we conclude that NMD in mammalian cells degrades mRNAs from both 5' and 3' ends by recruiting decapping and 5'-->3' exonuclease activities as well as deadenylating and 3'-->5' exonuclease activities.
Lejeune
Fabrice
F
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 712, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Li
Xiaojie
X
Maquat
Lynne E
LE
D000818:Animals; D018389:Codon, Nonsense / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005092:Exonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005095:Exoribonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D063326:Exosome Multienzyme Ribonuclease Complex; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D005092:Exonucleases; D005095:Exoribonucleases; D063326:Exosome Multienzyme Ribonuclease Complex; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C077044:EXOSC10 protein, human; C467723:DCP2 protein, human