Eukaryotic mRNAs with premature translation-termination codons (PTCs) are recognized and eliminated by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). NMD substrates can be degraded by different routes that all require phosphorylated UPF1 (P-UPF1) as a starting point. The endonuclease SMG6, which cleaves mRNA near the PTC, is one of the three known NMD factors thought to be recruited to nonsense mRNAs via ...

In eukaryotes, a specialized pathway of mRNA degradation termed nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) functions in mRNA quality control by recognizing and degrading mRNAs with aberrant termination codons. We demonstrate that NMD in yeast targets premature termination codon (PTC)-containing mRNA to P-bodies. Upf1p is sufficient for targeting mRNAs to P-bodies, whereas Upf2p and Upf3p act, at least in pa...

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay is the process by which mRNAs bearing premature stop codons are recognized and cleared from the cell. While considerable information has accumulated regarding recognition of the premature stop codon, less is known about the ensuing mRNA suppression. During the characterization of a second, distinct translational surveillance pathway (nonstop mRNA decay), we trapped ...

A protein complex deposited upstream of exon-exon junctions after pre-mRNA splicing may serve a dual role in mRNA quality control by directing mRNA nuclear export and, possibly, serving as a downstream 'mark' for nonsense-mediated decay.

Supernova neutrinos could be well-suited for probing neutrino decay, since decay may be observed even for very small decay rates or coupling constants. We will use a combined description of neutrino decay and neutrino oscillations for supernova neutrinos, especially taking into account two properties: One is the radially symmetric neutrino flux, allowing a decay product to be re-directed toward...

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a conserved proofreading mechanism that protects eukaryotic cells from the potentially deleterious effects of truncated proteins. Studies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae imply that NMD is a predominantly cytoplasmic decay pathway, while studies of mammalian systems suggest that decay of most substrate mRNAs may occur while they are still associated with the nuc...

One of the most common splice variations are small exon length variations caused by the use of alternative donor or acceptor splice sites that are in very close proximity on the pre-mRNA. Among these, three-nucleotide variations at so-called NAGNAG tandem acceptor sites have recently attracted considerable attention, and it has been suggested that these variations are regulated and serve to fin...

All eukaryotes possess the ability to detect and degrade transcripts harboring premature signals for the termination of translation. Despite the ubiquitous nature of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) and its demonstrated role in the modulation of phenotypes resulting from selected nonsense alleles, very little is known regarding its basic mechanism or the selective pressure for complete evolut...

It is widely believed that translation occurs only in the cytoplasm of eukaryotes, but recent results suggest some takes place in nuclei, coupled to transcription. Support for this heterodoxy comes from studies of the nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway; this pathway probably uses ribosomes to proofread messenger RNAs. We find components of the machineries involved in transcription, translati...