Poly(A) tale: From A to A; RNA polyadenylation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Most eukaryotic mRNAs and different non‐coding RNAs undergo a form of 3′ end processing known as polyadenylation. Polyadenylation machinery is present in almost all organisms except few species. In bacteria, the machinery has evolved from PNPase, which adds heteropolymeric tails, to a poly(A)‐specif...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. RNA 2024-03, Vol.15 (2), p.e1837-n/a
Main Authors: Mofayezi, Ahmadreza, Jadaliha, Mahdieh, Zangeneh, Fatemeh‐zahra, Khoddami, Vahid
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Eukaryotes
mRNA
mRNA metabolism
poly(A) tail
Polyadenine
Polyadenylation
Polynucleotide phosphorylase
Prokaryotes
RNA processing
translation
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Summary:Most eukaryotic mRNAs and different non‐coding RNAs undergo a form of 3′ end processing known as polyadenylation. Polyadenylation machinery is present in almost all organisms except few species. In bacteria, the machinery has evolved from PNPase, which adds heteropolymeric tails, to a poly(A)‐specific polymerase. Differently, a complex machinery for accurate polyadenylation and several non‐canonical poly(A) polymerases are developed in eukaryotes. The role of poly(A) tail has also evolved from serving as a degradative signal to a stabilizing modification that also regulates translation. In this review, we discuss poly(A) tail emergence in prokaryotes and its development into a stable, yet dynamic feature at the 3′ end of mRNAs in eukaryotes. We also describe how appearance of novel poly(A) polymerases gives cells flexibility to shape poly(A) tail. We explain how poly(A) tail dynamics help regulate cognate RNA metabolism in a context‐dependent manner, such as during oocyte maturation. Finally, we describe specific mRNAs in metazoans that bear stem‐loops instead of poly(A) tails. We conclude with how recent discoveries about poly(A) tail can be applied to mRNA technology. This article is categorized under: RNA Evolution and Genomics > RNA and Ribonucleoprotein Evolution RNA Processing > 3′ End Processing RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability Integrating insights gained from systematic diversity, biochemical features, and molecular impacts of poly(A) tails into understanding biological processes and developing mRNA‐based drugs.
ISSN:1757-7004
1757-7012
DOI:10.1002/wrna.1837