Determining mRNA Survival

Researchers uncover a self-destruct mechanism that determines the lifespan of messenger RNA molecules.

Written byJef Akst

| 1 min read

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Observing single molecules in yeast cells in real time, researchers have discovered that the promoter regions of two genes involved in the cell cycle not only act to encourage transcription; they also initiate a self-destruct timer that controls when the resulting messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules are degraded. The results, published today (December 22) in Cell, provide some of the first clues regarding how cells manage their mRNA levels, and could have implications for controlling cell division in cancer.

“Our findings indicate that genes making proteins whose levels must be carefully controlled contain promoter regions that sentence their mRNA molecules to death even as the mRNA is being born,” senior author Robert Singer of the Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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