SMG5-SMG7 authorize nonsense-mediated mRNA decay by enabling SMG6 endonucleolytic activity

Volker Boehm (), Sabrina Kueckelmann, Jennifer V. Gerbracht, Sebastian Kallabis, Thiago Britto-Borges, Janine Altmüller, Marcus Krüger, Christoph Dieterich and Niels H. Gehring ()
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Volker Boehm: University of Cologne
Sabrina Kueckelmann: University of Cologne
Jennifer V. Gerbracht: University of Cologne
Sebastian Kallabis: University of Cologne
Thiago Britto-Borges: Heidelberg University Hospital
Janine Altmüller: University of Cologne
Marcus Krüger: University of Cologne
Christoph Dieterich: Heidelberg University Hospital
Niels H. Gehring: University of Cologne

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract Eukaryotic gene expression is constantly controlled by the translation-coupled nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway. Aberrant translation termination leads to NMD activation, resulting in phosphorylation of the central NMD factor UPF1 and robust clearance of NMD targets via two seemingly independent and redundant mRNA degradation branches. Here, we uncover that the loss of the first SMG5-SMG7-dependent pathway also inactivates the second SMG6-dependent branch, indicating an unexpected functional connection between the final NMD steps. Transcriptome-wide analyses of SMG5-SMG7-depleted cells confirm exhaustive NMD inhibition resulting in massive transcriptomic alterations. Intriguingly, we find that the functionally underestimated SMG5 can substitute the role of SMG7 and individually activate NMD. Furthermore, the presence of either SMG5 or SMG7 is sufficient to support SMG6-mediated endonucleolysis of NMD targets. Our data support an improved model for NMD execution that features two-factor authentication involving UPF1 phosphorylation and SMG5-SMG7 recruitment to access SMG6 activity.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24046-3

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24046-3

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