title: Relationship between mRNA stability and length: an old question with a new twist.
abstract: The half-life of individual mRNA plays a central role in controlling the level of gene expression. However, the determinants of mRNA stability have not yet been well defined. Most previous studies suggest that mRNA length does not affect its stability. Here, we show significant negative correlations between mRNA length and stability in human and Escherichia coli, but not in Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Bacillus subtilis. This finding suggests the possibility that endonucleolytic attacks by RNA endonuclease and/or mechanical damage may strongly influence mRNA stability in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Deng-Ke
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger