mRNA Stability

mRNA relative stability - Prokaryotes

lower

mRNA relative stability - Eukaryotes

higher

mRNA lifespan - Prokaryotes

minutes

mRNA lifespan - Eukaryotes

minutes to days

Structure helping achieve stability - Prokaryotes

stem loop

Structure helping achieve stability - Eukaryotes

g-cap and poly A tail

Message is degraded when… (P)

ribosomes not packed densely

Message is degraded when… (E)

tail is shortened to ~10 adenines

Location of transcription and translation (P)

same place a cytoplasm

Location of transcription and translation (E)

Different places – cytoplasm and nucleaus

General RNA degradation mechanism

mRNA is degraded by degradosome

degradosome

a multi-enzyme complex of proteins involved in degradation

General RNA degradation mechanism

deadenylation-dependent decapping (5’ to 3’ decay) 

Exosome dependent (3’ to 5’ decay)