mRNA Degradation

Abstract

All organisms require a reliable mechanism to turn genes on and off. This regulation of gene expression underlies cellular processes ranging from the response to environmental signals to the development of multi-cellular organisms and cell-cell communication. Understandably, the cell tightly controls gene expression at every step from DNA to protein. Recent work has given new insights into these control mechanisms and revealed dedicated pathways that target mRNA for degradation, thereby efficiently turning genes off.