The multitasking polyA tail: nuclear RNA maturation, degradation and export

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2018 Nov 5;373(1762):20180169. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0169.

Abstract

A polyA (pA) tail is an essential modification added to the 3' ends of a wide range of RNAs at different stages of their metabolism. Here, we describe the main sources of polyadenylation and outline their underlying biochemical interactions within the nuclei of budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, human cells and, when relevant, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe Polyadenylation mediated by the S. cerevisiae Trf4/5 enzymes, and their human homologues PAPD5/7, typically leads to the 3'-end trimming or complete decay of non-coding RNAs. By contrast, the primary function of canonical pA polymerases (PAPs) is to produce stable and nuclear export-competent mRNAs. However, this dichotomy is becoming increasingly blurred, at least in S. pombe and human cells, where polyadenylation mediated by canonical PAPs may also result in transcript decay.This article is part of the theme issue '5' and 3' modifications controlling RNA degradation'.

Keywords: RNA decay; RNA export; RNA polyadenylation; TRAMP complex; polyA binding proteins; transcription termination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Polyadenylation*
  • RNA, Nuclear / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • RNA, Nuclear
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins