title: A DIStinctively novel exoribonuclease that really likes U.
abstract: Regulated degradation plays a major role in determining the levels of both non-coding (miRNA) and coding (mRNA) transcripts. Thus, insights into the factors and pathways that influence this process have broad, interdisciplinary implications. New findings by Malecki et al (2013), Lubas et al (2013), and Chang et al (2013) identify the protein Dis3L2 as a major player in the 3′–5′ exonucleolytic decay of transcripts. Furthermore, they demonstrate a strong connection between terminal uridylation of the RNA substrate and enzymatic activity.
authors.affiliation: Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Center, Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. imed.gallouzi@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Imed E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Gallouzi
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilusz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D005092:Exonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005095:Exoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D055354:Exosomes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C571454:DIS3L2 protein, human; D005092:Exonucleases; D005095:Exoribonucleases; D012260:Ribonucleases