title: The role of AUF1 in regulated mRNA decay.
abstract: Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) turnover is a major control point in gene expression. In mammals, many mRNAs encoding inflammatory cytokines, oncoproteins, and G-protein-coupled receptors are destabilized by the presence of AU-rich elements (AREs) in their 3'-untranslated regions. Association of ARE-binding proteins (AUBPs) with these mRNAs promotes rapid mRNA degradation. ARE/poly(U)-binding/degradation factor 1 (AUF1), one of the best-characterized AUBPs, binds to many ARE-mRNAs and assembles other factors necessary to recruit the mRNA degradation machinery. These factors include translation initiation factor eIF4G, chaperones hsp27 and hsp70, heat-shock cognate protein hsc70, lactate dehydrogenase, poly(A)-binding protein, and other unidentified proteins. Numerous signaling pathways alter the composition of this AUF1 complex of proteins to effect changes in ARE-mRNA degradation rates. This review briefly describes the roles of mRNA decay in gene expression in general and ARE-mediated decay (AMD) in particular, with a focus on AUF1 and the different modes of regulation that govern AUF1 involvement in AMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-5635, USA.
authors.forename: Frances M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gratacós
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D000081035:Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D0; D034502:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C000630986:HNRNPD protein, human; D000081035:Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D0; D034502:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D; D038621:Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid