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Exosomes

Preparing for Destruction

Before the exosome gets to work on a messenger RNA, several other enzymes attack the strand and prepare it for complete breakdown. The first step is typically to remove the long string of adenine nucleotides that protect the end of most messenger RNA molecules. These are removed by special deadenylation ribonucleases, such as the one shown on the left from PDB entry 2a1s. Messenger RNA molecules also have a protective cap at the other end, composed of a guanine nucleotide attached backwards. This is removed by one of several decapping enzymes, like the one shown on the right from PDB entry 1st0.

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Last changed by: A.Honegger, 8/6/08