Abstract
Eukaryotic genes are expressed through several steps including transcription, post-transcriptional pre-mRNA processing, and translation of mature mRNAs. This elaborate program affords exquisite regulation possibilities but also leads to an increased incidence of errors. To tackle this problem, eukaryotes employ several quality control mechanisms targeting incorrectly or incompletely processed transcripts. Here we propose to combine bioinformatics and biochemical approaches in mammalian cells with the power of yeast genetics to uncover mechanisms that hinder export of incompletely spliced mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm thus preventing their translation and protecting the cell from potentially deleterious protein products.
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