Cut in translation: ribosome-dependent mRNA decay

Transcription and translation are two complex mechanisms that are tightly coupled in prokaryotic cells. Even before the completion of transcription, ribosomes attach to the nascent mRNA and initiate protein synthesis. Remarkably, recent publications have indicated an association between translation and decay of certain mRNAs. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Leroy et al (2017) depicts a fascinating mechanism of mRNA degradation, which involves the ribosome-associated ribonuclease Rae1 in Bacillus subtilis In a translation-dependent manner, Rae1 binds the ribosomal aminoacylation (A)-site and cleaves between specific codons of the targeted mRNA.