Work

P-Bodies and Stress Granules: Possible Roles in the Control of Translation and mRNA Degradation

Year: 2012

Type: preprint

Abstract: The control of translation and mRNA degradation is important in the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. In general, translation and steps in the major pathway of mRNA decay are in competition with each other. mRNAs that are not engaged in translation can aggregate into cytoplasmic mRNP granules referred to as processing bodies (P-bodies) and stress granules, which are related to mRNP particles that control translation in early development and neurons. Analyses of P-bodies and stress granules suggest a dynamic process, referred to as the mRNA Cycle, wherein mRNPs can move between polysomes, P-bodies and stress granules although the functional roles of mRNP assembly into higher order structures remain poorly understood. In this article, we review what is known about the coupling of translation and mRNA degradation, the properties of P-bodies and stress granules, and how assembly of mRNPs into larger structures might influence cellular function.

Source: Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology

DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a012286

Authors: C. J. Decker, R. Parker

Institutions: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Arizona

Language: English

Topic: RNA Research and Splicing

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Award: mRNA Decapping in Yeast