| map03040 |
Spliceosome |
After transcription, eukaryotic mRNA precursors contain protein-coding exons and noncoding introns. In the following splicing, introns are excised and exons are joined by a macromolecular complex, the spliceosome. The standard spliceosome is made up of five small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6 snRNPs, and several spliceosome-associated proteins (SAPs). Spliceosomes are not a simple stable complex, but a dynamic family of particles that assemble on the mRNA precursor and help fold it into a conformation that allows transesterification to proceed. Various spliceosome forms (e.g. A-, B- and C-complexes) have been identified. |
| map03015 |
mRNA surveillance pathway |
The mRNA surveillance pathway is a quality control mechanism that detects and degrades abnormal mRNAs. These pathways include nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), nonstop mRNA decay (NSD), and no-go decay (NGD). NMD is a mechanism that eliminates mRNAs containing premature translation-termination codons (PTCs). In vertebrates, PTCs trigger efficient NMD when located upstream of an exon junction complex (EJC). Upf3, together with Upf1 and Upf2, may signal the presence of the PTC to the 5'end of the transcript, resulting in decapping and rapid exonucleolytic digestion of the mRNA. In the NSD pathway, which targets mRNAs lacking termination codons, the ribosome is believed to translate through the 3' untranslated region and stall at the end of the poly(A) tail. NSD involves an eRF3-like protein, Ski7p, which is hypothesized to bind the empty A site of the ribosome and recruit the exosome to degrade the mRNA from the 3' end. NGD targets mRNAs with stalls in translation elongation for endonucleolytic cleavage in a process involving the Dom34 and Hbs1 proteins. |
| map03013 |
RNA transport |
RNA transport from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is fundamental for gene expression. The different RNA species that are produced in the nucleus are exported through the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) via mobile export receptors. The majority of RNAs, such as tRNAs, rRNAs, and U snRNAs, are transported by specific export receptors, which belong to the karyopherin-beta family proteins. A feature of karyopherins is their regulation by the small GTPase Ran. However, general mRNA export is mechanistically different. Nuclear export of mRNAs is functionally coupled to different steps in gene expression processes, such as transcription, splicing, 3'-end formation and even translation. |
