Regulation and function of the nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway

Supervisor: Professor Javier F. Caceres

Javier Caceres research image 2022 — The ER-localized NMD factor NBAS recruits the core NMD factor UPF1 to the membrane of the ER and activates an ER-dedicated NMD pathway.

The Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) pathway selectively degrades mRNAs harboring premature termination codons (PTCs), preventing the synthesis of truncated proteins. We study the mechanism and physiological relevance of NMD. We have identified an NMD pathway at the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) that provides quality control of ER-translated mRNAs1. We will focus on the mechanism and physiological role of the ER-NMD pathway, as well as on the biological consequences of manipulating its activity.

Longman et al. (2020) Identification of a localized nonsense-mediated decay pathway at the endoplasmic reticulum. Genes Dev 34: 1075-1088

Javier F. Caceres Research Group

This article was published on 2 Nov, 2023