Determinants and implications of mRNA poly(A) tail size – Does this protein make my tail look big?

•mRNA poly(A) tails naturally occur in a variety of lengths.•Accurately defining poly(A) lengths for individual mRNAs has been challenging.•Numerous sequence elements and factors determine poly(A) size in mammalian cells.•Poly(A) length dynamics may play a key role in several aspects of cell biology...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Seminars in cell & developmental biology 2014-10, Vol.34, p.24-32
Main Authors: Jalkanen, Aimee L., Coleman, Stephen J., Wilusz, Jeffrey
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Base Sequence
Deadenylation
Gene Expression Regulation
Humans
Hyperadenylation
mRNA 3′ end processing
Poly(A) tail
Polyadenylation
RNA, Messenger - genetics
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
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Summary:•mRNA poly(A) tails naturally occur in a variety of lengths.•Accurately defining poly(A) lengths for individual mRNAs has been challenging.•Numerous sequence elements and factors determine poly(A) size in mammalian cells.•Poly(A) length dynamics may play a key role in several aspects of cell biology. While the phenomenon of polyadenylation has been well-studied, the dynamics of poly(A) tail size and its impact on transcript function and cell biology are less well-appreciated. The goal of this review is to encourage readers to view the poly(A) tail as a dynamic, changeable aspect of a transcript rather than a simple static entity that marks the 3′ end of an mRNA. This could open up new angles of regulation in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression throughout development, differentiation and cancer.
ISSN:1084-9521
1096-3634
DOI:10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.05.018