title: mRNA quality control at the 5' end.
abstract: All eukaryotic mRNAs are capped at their 5' end. Capping of mRNAs takes place co-transcriptionally and involves three steps. The intermediates of the capping process, as well as the uncapped 5' tri-phosphate RNA, are resistant to decapping and degradation by known factors, leading to the assumption that the capping process always proceeds to completion. This view was recently drastically changed. A novel family of enzymes, including the yeast proteins Rai1, Dxo1/Ydr370C, and the mammalian protein DXO/Dom3Z, has been identified. These enzymes catalyze the conversion of the improperly capped mRNAs to 5' mono-phosphate RNA, allowing them to be degraded by 5'-3' exoribonucleases. Several of these enzymes also possess 5'-3' exoribonuclease activities themselves, and can single-handedly clear the improperly capped mRNAs. Studying of these enzymes has led to the realization that mRNA capping does not always proceed to completion, and the identification of an mRNA capping quality control mechanism in eukaryotes. In this paper, we briefly review recent advances in this area.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Li-ting
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012260:Ribonucleases
keywords: DXO; Dxo1; Quality control; Rai1; mRNA capping