title: Introns in UTRs: why we should stop ignoring them.
abstract: Although introns in 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs) are found in many protein coding genes, rarely are they considered distinctive entities with specific functions. Indeed, mammalian transcripts with 3'-UTR introns are often assumed nonfunctional because they are subject to elimination by nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). Nonetheless, recent findings indicate that 5'- and 3'-UTR intron status is of significant functional consequence for the regulation of mammalian genes. Therefore these features should be ignored no longer.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Alicia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bicknell
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cenik
authors.forename: Hon N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Frederick P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D059365:Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; C026452:messenger ribonucleoprotein