DSSS - Elisa Izaurralde Memorial Lecture

Regulation of mRNA Translation and Decay

We investigate the molecular pathways that regulate gene expression by affecting the stability or translation of mRNAs. One interest is microRNAs, which are small regulatory RNAs that typically direct the destruction of their target transcripts. We have recently been studying the conformational changes required for microRNA-directed mRNA slicing and how some unusual target transcripts direct the destruction of microRNAs. Another interest is mRNA poly(A) tails, which stabilize mRNAs in some contexts and increase translation efficiency in other contexts. We have recently found the conditions required for tail length to influence translational efficiency and have defined mRNA determinants of tail-length modulation (both lengthening and shortening) in the cytoplasm.