From Cis-Regulatory Elements to Complex RNPs and Back
- 1Gene Regulation Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and UPF, 08003-Barcelona, Spain
- 2Genome Biology Department, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Acton (Canberra) ACT 0200, Australia
- 3European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Correspondence: fatima.gebauer{at}crg.eu; thomas.preiss{at}anu.edu.au; hentze{at}embl.de
Abstract
Messenger RNAs (mRNAs), the templates for translation, have evolved to harbor abundant cis-acting sequences that affect their posttranscriptional fates. These elements are frequently located in the untranslated regions and serve as binding sites for trans-acting factors, RNA-binding proteins, and/or small non-coding RNAs. This article provides a systematic synopsis of cis-acting elements, trans-acting factors, and the mechanisms by which they affect translation. It also highlights recent technical advances that have ushered in the era of transcriptome-wide studies of the ribonucleoprotein complexes formed by mRNAs and their trans-acting factors.
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