title: Binary function of mRNA.
abstract: Since the discovery of messenger RNA (mRNA) over half a century ago, the assumption has always been that the only function of mRNA is to make a protein. However, recent studies of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms unexpectedly show that some mRNAs may be functionally binary and have additional structural functions that are unrelated to their translation product. These findings imply that some of the phenotypic features of cells and organisms can also be binary, that is, they depend both on the function of a protein and the independent structural function of its mRNA. In this review, we will discuss this concept within the framework of multifunctional RNA molecules and the RNA World Hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Methodist Hospital and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, 6565 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA. mkloc@tmhs.org
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kloc
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Foreman
authors.forename: Sriyutha A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007633:Keratins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D058928:Riboswitch / Q000235:genetics*; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019065:Virus Assembly / Q000235:genetics*; D014780:Viruses / Q000254:growth & development; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated; D058928:Riboswitch; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; C103966:VegT protein, Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D007633:Keratins