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Review
. 2002 Sep;184(17):4658-65; discussion 4657.
doi: 10.1128/JB.184.17.4658-4665.2002.

mRNA decay in Escherichia coli comes of age

Sidney R Kushner  1
Affiliations
Review

mRNA decay in Escherichia coli comes of age

Sidney R Kushner. J Bacteriol. 2002 Sep.
No abstract available

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Initiation of mRNA degradation by the RNase E-based degradosome. In this model, the degradosome, composed of RNase E, PNPase, the RhlB RNA helicase, and enolase (Eno), is associated with the transcript through the binding of PNPase to the poly(A) tail that has been added following the Rho-independent transcription terminator and the attachment of RNase E to the 5′ end. After the initial endonucleolytic cleavages (arrows) occur, the subsequent steps are similar to those shown in Fig. 2 and 3.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
Decay of mRNAs employing nonspecific endoribonucleases. In this model, an enzyme such as RNase M would initiate mRNA decay near the 5′ terminus of the transcript. Following additional cleavages by it and perhaps another endoribonuclease, such as RNase I*, the breakdown products would be exonucleolytically degraded by a combination of PNPase, RNase II, and RNase R. Secondary structures could be removed by the action of an RNA helicase and/or the addition of poly(A) tails, which has been shown to promote the movement of PNPase through a stem-loop structure (27). RBS, ribosome binding site; PAP I, poly(A) polymerase I.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 3.
Degradation of mRNAs employing RNases E and G for the initial endonucleolytic cleavages. In this model, RNase E and PNPase are not assumed to be associated in the degradosome. Either RNase E or G can move processively (arrows) in the 5′ → 3′ direction, generating a series of smaller breakdown products that are subsequently degraded as described in Fig. 2. The final step in mRNA decay involves oligoribonuclease hydrolyzing the 4- to 7-mers that do not function as effective substrates for PNPase, RNase II, and RNase R. RBS, ribosome binding site; PAP I, poly(A) polymerase I.
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References

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