Processing the message: Structural insights into capping and decapping mRNA Journal Article


Authors: Gu, M.; Lima, C. D.
Article Title: Processing the message: Structural insights into capping and decapping mRNA
Abstract: The 5′ m7GpppN cap plays an essential role in the life cycle of eukaryotic mRNA and is required for efficient pre-mRNA splicing, export, stability and translation. Nascent pre-mRNA is capped through a series of three enzymatic steps that result in a 5′ N7-methyl guanosine linked by an inverted 5′-5′ triphosphate bridge to the first nucleotide of the transcript. Early structural studies revealed the mechanisms employed in the first two steps of capping, and more recent structural studies have completed the suite of capping activities and shed light on the mechanisms that target the capping apparatus to the phosphorylated C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. RNA decay pathways also target the RNA cap structure. After deadenylation of polyadenylated mRNA, enzymes of the 5′-3′ decay pathway hydrolyze the mRNA cap to expose the 5′ RNA end to 5′-3′ exoribonuclease activities. In the 3′-5′ decay pathway, exosome-mediated degradation of RNA occurs from the 3′ end after deadenylation, ultimately generating a cap structure that is hydrolyzed by enzymes of this pathway. Recent structural studies have illuminated the mechanisms employed for decapping mRNA in both 5′-3′ and 3′-5′ decay pathways.
Keywords: signal transduction; unclassified drug; review; models, biological; phosphatase; protein binding; enzyme activity; acid anhydride hydrolases; methyltransferase; messenger rna; rna, messenger; models, molecular; binding sites; enzyme structure; rna polymerase ii; hydrolysis; models, chemical; rna transcription; rna processing, post-transcriptional; rna degradation; endoribonucleases; transferase; guanylyltransferase; exoribonuclease
Journal Title: Current Opinion in Structural Biology
Volume: 15
Issue: 1 SPEC. ISS.
ISSN: 0959-440X
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.  
Date Published: 2005-02-01
Start Page: 99
End Page: 106
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2005.01.009
PUBMED: 15718140
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Cited By (since 1996): 46" - "Export Date: 24 October 2012" - "CODEN: COSBE" - "Source: Scopus"
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  1. Meigang Gu
    5 Gu
  2. Christopher D Lima
    103 Lima