Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Metabolic Labeling of Newly Transcribed RNA for High Resolution Gene Expression Profiling of RNA Synthesis, Processing and Decay in Cell Culture
11:00

Metabolic Labeling of Newly Transcribed RNA for High Resolution Gene Expression Profiling of RNA Synthesis, Processing and Decay in Cell Culture

Published on: August 8, 2013

Gene expression is circular: factors for mRNA degradation also foster mRNA synthesis

Gal Haimovich1, Daniel A Medina, Sebastien Z Causse

  • 1Department of Molecular Microbiology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.

Cell
|May 28, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Most yeast mRNAs are degraded by the cytoplasmic 5'-to-3' decay pathway. Defects in this pathway surprisingly lead to transcription downregulation, revealing a circular gene expression process.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Gene Regulation
  • Yeast Genetics

Background:

  • Gene expression regulation relies on maintaining precise mRNA levels.
  • mRNA levels are determined by the balance between synthesis and decay.
  • The cytoplasmic 5 o3 ext{ pathway} (decaysome) is a primary mRNA degradation route.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the robustness of mRNA levels to perturbations in the decaysome pathway.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms underlying mRNA level stability.
  • To explore potential roles of decaysome components beyond cytoplasmic mRNA decay.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mRNA levels in yeast strains with defects in decaysome components.
  • Investigation of subcellular localization and chromatin association of decaysome proteins.
  • Assays to assess the impact of nuclear decaysome component function on transcription.

Main Results:

  • mRNA levels are surprisingly robust to decaysome pathway defects.
  • Defects in decaysome components trigger downregulation of mRNA transcription.
  • Decaysome components shuttle between cytoplasm and nucleus, associating with chromatin near transcription start sites to stimulate initiation and elongation.

Conclusions:

  • The decaysome plays a dual role in both mRNA decay and transcription regulation.
  • Nuclear functions of the decaysome in transcription are linked to its cytoplasmic role in mRNA decay via protein shuttling.
  • Gene expression exhibits a circular regulatory mechanism connecting transcription and mRNA degradation.

More Related Videos

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Metabolic Labeling with 4-thiouracil and the Quantification of Newly Synthesized mRNA As a Proxy for RNA Polymerase II Activity09:21

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Metabolic Labeling with 4-thiouracil and the Quantification of Newly Synthesized mRNA As a Proxy for RNA Polymerase II Activity

Published on: October 22, 2018

Use of Alu Element Containing Minigenes to Analyze Circular RNAs13:10

Use of Alu Element Containing Minigenes to Analyze Circular RNAs

Published on: March 10, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Nuclear Export of mRNA02:31

Nuclear Export of mRNA

Before mRNAs are exported to the cytoplasm, it is crucial to check each mRNA for structural and functional integrity. Eukaryotic cells use several different mechanisms, collectively known as mRNA surveillance, to look for irregularities in mRNAs. Irregular or aberrant mRNA are rapidly degraded by various enzymes. If a defective mRNA escapes the surveillance, it would be translated into a protein which would either be non-functional or not function properly. One of the primary irregularities in...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
mRNA Stability and Gene Expression02:51

mRNA Stability and Gene Expression

The structure and stability of mRNA molecules regulates gene expression, as mRNAs are a key step in the pathway from gene to protein. In eukaryotes, the half-life of mRNA varies from a few minutes up to several days. mRNA stability is essential in growth and development. The absence of the proteins regulating its stability, such as tristetraprolin in mice, can cause systemic issues, including bone marrow overgrowth, inflammation, and autoimmunity.
Cis-acting Elements involved in mRNA stability
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
mRNA Stability and Gene Expression02:51

mRNA Stability and Gene Expression

The structure and stability of mRNA molecules regulates gene expression, as mRNAs are a key step in the pathway from gene to protein. In eukaryotes, the half-life of mRNA varies from a few minutes up to several days. mRNA stability is essential in growth and development. The absence of the proteins regulating its stability, such as tristetraprolin in mice, can cause systemic issues, including bone marrow overgrowth, inflammation, and autoimmunity.
Cis-acting Elements involved in mRNA stability
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps01:23

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...