Intrinsically disordered regions in eukaryotic mRNA decay pathways

Regulation of gene expression in cells is mediated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which act as adaptors connecting messenger RNA (mRNA) to enzymatic and structural components to achieve a distinct functional outcome. RBPs are enriched in intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). These regions mediate multivalent interactions that lead to the expansion of a physical and functional network in cells and, therefore, play a pivotal role in mRNA processing. In this review, we highlight the role of IDRs in eukaryotic mRNA decay. IDRs drive the assembly of transient mRNA-protein complexes essential for mRNA degradation and regulate the catalytic activities of enzymes involved therein. Beyond these functions, IDRs connect different pathways of targeted mRNA decay, building a global functional network that dictates gene expression.