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Abstract

All eukaryotes that have been studied to date possess the ability to detect and degrade transcripts that contain a premature signal for the termination of translation. This process of nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMRD) has been most comprehensively studied in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae where at least three trans-acting factors (Upf1 through Upf3) are required. The present invention provides cDNAs encoding human and murine RENT1 (reguiator of nonsense transcripts). RENT1 is the first identified mammalian protein that contains all of the putative functional elements in Upf1 including zinc finger-like motifs and NTPase domains as well as all motifs common to members of helicase superfamily I. Moreover, expression of a chimeric protein, containing the central region of RENT1 flanked by the extreme N- and C-termini of Upf1, complements the Upf1-deficient phenotype in yeast.

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First Claim