Abstract

Gene expression is highly accurate and rarely generates defective proteins. Several mechanisms ensure this fidelity, including specialized surveillance pathways that rid the cell of mRNAs that are incompletely processed or that lack complete open reading frames. One such mechanism, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, is triggered when ribosomes encounter a premature translation-termination — or nonsense — codon. New evidence indicates that the specialized factors that are recruited for this process not only promote rapid mRNA degradation, but are also required to resolvea poorly dissociable termination complex.

Author affiliations

1. Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655-0122, USA.
2. Department of Environmental and Biomolecular Systems, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon 97006, USA.
3. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA.

Correspondence to: Allan Jacobson¹ Email: allan.jacobson@umassmed.edu

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