mRNA stability and the control of gene expression.

The stability of an mRNA plays a major role in the determination of gene expression. The stability of an mRNA reflects its primary and higher-order structure, as well as its interactions with a variety of trans-acting RNA-binding proteins. Both of these parameters can control the function of the mRNA and its exposure to rate limiting nuclease digestion. The specific determinants of mRNA stability are now being worked out in well defined model systems. The unusual stability of globin mRNAs, necessitated by the prolonged posttranscriptional phase of erythroid differentiation, presents a potentially informative example of stability control.