Clearing the slate: RNA turnover to enable cell state switching?

Abstract

The distribution of mRNA in tissue is determined by the balance between transcription and decay. Understanding the control of RNA decay during development has been somewhat neglected compared with transcriptional control. Here, we explore the potential for mRNA decay to trigger rapid cell state transitions during development, comparing a bistable switch model of cell state conversion with experimental evidence from different developmental systems. We also consider another potential role for large-scale RNA decay that has emerged from studies of stress-induced cell state transitions, in which removal of mRNA unblocks the translation machinery to prioritise the synthesis of proteins that establish the new cell state.

A comparative analysis across species of maternal mRNA regulation in embryos using QUANTA

“…QUANTA is broadly applicable to investigate the transcriptional shut-off component of gene expression across systems and responses. Understanding of mRNA decay has been overwhelmingly neglected compared to transcriptional control, although changes to cellular transcriptomes combine the turn-off of a subset of genes, while others are turned on (Westbrook et al, 2023). Indeed, shut-off and removal of mRNAs was also often shown critical for functionality (Choi et al, 2007; Giraldez et al, 2005; Viegas et al, 2022).…”