YEASTBOOK GENE EXPRESSION & METABOLISM RNA Degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisae Roy Parker1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Tucson, Arizona 85721 ABSTRACT All RNA species in yeast cells are subject to turnover. Work over the past 20 years has deﬁned degradation mechanisms for messenger RNAs, transfer RNAs, ribosomal RNAs, and noncoding RNAs. In addition, numerous quality control mechanisms that target aberrant RNAs have been identiﬁed. Generally, each decay mechanism contains factors that funnel RNA substrates to abundant exo- and/or endonucleases. Key issues for future work include determining the mechanisms that control the speciﬁcity of RNA degradation and how RNA degradation processes interact with translation, RNA transport, and other cellular processes. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Introduction Degradation of mRNA Cytoplasmic turnover of mRNA Deadenylation Control of deadenylation: Control of deadenylation by mRNA-speciﬁc features: Environmental control of deadenylation: mRNA decapping Nucleases of decapping and 59 to 39 degradation: Model of mRNA decapping: Decapping and translation initiation: Stimulation of decapping by general activators: Control of decapping: Poly(A) tails as inhibitors of decapping: Control decapping on speciﬁc mRNAs: mRNA decapping and P-bodies: Relationship of decapping to ongoing translation elongation: Regulation by signal transduction paths: 39 to 59 mRNA degradation Other mRNA decay pathways mRNA Quality Control Pathways Cytoplasmic quality control 671 672 672 672 673 675 675 676 676 676 677 677 677 679 679 680 681 681 682 682 682 682 682 Continued Copyright © 2012 by the Genetics Society of America doi: 10.1534/genetics.111.137265 Manuscript received November 28, 2011; accepted for publication February 6, 2012 Available freely online through the author-supported open access option. 1Address for correspondence: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Life Sciences South Bldg., 1007 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85721-0106. E-mail: rrparker@email.arizona.edu Genetics, Vol. 191, 671–702 July 2012 671