Cytoplasmic Control of Sense-Antisense mRNA Pairs

Cell Rep. 2015 Sep 22;12(11):1853-64. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.016. Epub 2015 Sep 3.

Abstract

Transcriptome analyses have revealed that convergent gene transcription can produce many 3'-overlapping mRNAs in diverse organisms. Few studies have examined the fate of 3'-complementary mRNAs in double-stranded RNA-dependent nuclear phenomena, and nothing is known about the cytoplasmic destiny of 3'-overlapping messengers or their impact on gene expression. Here, we demonstrate that the complementary tails of 3'-overlapping mRNAs can interact in the cytoplasm and promote post-transcriptional regulatory events including no-go decay (NGD) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genome-wide experiments confirm that these messenger-interacting mRNAs (mimRNAs) form RNA duplexes in wild-type cells and thus have potential roles in modulating the mRNA levels of their convergent gene pattern under different growth conditions. We show that the post-transcriptional fate of hundreds of mimRNAs is controlled by Xrn1, revealing the extent to which this conserved 5'-3' cytoplasmic exoribonuclease plays an unexpected but key role in the post-transcriptional control of convergent gene expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Albinism, Oculocutaneous / genetics
  • Albinism, Oculocutaneous / metabolism
  • Cytoplasm / genetics*
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism*
  • Porins / genetics
  • Porins / metabolism
  • RNA Stability
  • RNA, Antisense / genetics*
  • RNA, Antisense / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Por1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Porins
  • RNA, Antisense
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins

Supplementary concepts

  • Oculocutaneous albinism type 2

Associated data

  • GEO/GSE64090