MRNA degradation controls differentiation state-dependent differences in transcript and splice variant abundance.

ABSTRACT: Expression profiling experiments usually provide a static snapshot of messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Improved understanding of the dynamics of mRNA synthesis and degradation will aid the development of sound bioinformatic models for control of gene expression. We studied mRNA stability in proliferating and differentiated myogenic cells using whole-genome exon arrays and reported the decay rates (half life) for ∼7000 mRNAs. We showed that the stability of many mRNAs strongly depends on the differentiation status and contributes to differences in abundance of these mRNAs. In addition, alternative splicing turns out to be coupled to mRNA degradation. Although different splice forms may be produced at comparable levels, their relative abundance is partly determined by their different stabilities

SUBMITTER: 't Hoen PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3025562 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature