Control of mRNA Stability in Higher Plants.

Abstract

Gene expression is a complex multistep process fundamental to all phases of plant growth and development. The first step, transcription, is the best understood, but transcription events alone cannot explain the regulation of many plant genes. This paper focuses on the control of nuclear genes in plants at the level of mRNA stability, emphasizing examples where knowledge is most definitive. Recent progress toward the identification of molecular determinations of mRNA stability is highlighted and discussed in terms of possible mechanisms for mRNA degradation in plants and how those mechanisms can be controlled. Major topic areas include: selective degradation of specific transcripts in plants; identification of sequences that control mRNA decay rates in plants; cellular factors involved in mRNA degradation; the coupling between translation and mRNA stability; possible mechanisms and future prospects. 35 refs., 2 figs.