Protein complex protects central RNA quality control from disruption

A research team led by Professor Dr. Niels Gehring from the Institute for Genetics has shown that the coordinated interaction of three proteins plays a central role in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). NMD is a mechanism in cells that destroys faulty RNA. Together, the proteins SMG1, SMG8, and SMG9 ensure that this mechanism is activated and functions reliably. Mutations in the genes SMG8 and SMG9 are associated with genetic diseases. However, for a long time it remained unclear within the complex what role the proteins they encode play in human cells. Gehring and his team have now demonstrated this in more detail. The study "SMG1:SMG8:SMG9-complex integrity supports efficient execution of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay" was published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.