Regulation of NAB2 mRNA 3′-end formation requires the core exosome and the Trf4p component of the TRAMP complex

Abstract

The nuclear exosome functions in a variety of pathways catalyzing formation of mature RNA 3′-ends or the destruction of aberrant RNA transcripts. The RNA 3′-end formation activity of the exosome appeared restricted to small noncoding RNAs. However, the nuclear exosome controls the level of the mRNA encoding the poly(A)-binding protein Nab2p in a manner requiring an A26 sequence in the mRNA 3′ untranslated regions (UTR), and the activities of Nab2p and the exosome-associated exoribonuclease Rrp6p. Here we show that the A26 sequence inhibits normal 3′-end processing of NAB2 mRNA in vivo and in vitro, and makes formation of the mature 3′-end dependent on trimming of the transcript by the core exosome and the Trf4p component of the TRAMP complex from a downstream site. The detection of mature, polyadenylated transcripts ending at, or within, the A26 sequence indicates that exosome trimming sometimes gives way to polyadenylation of the mRNA. Alternatively, Rrp6p and the TRAMP-associated Mtr4p degrade these transcripts thereby limiting the amount of Nab2p in the cell. These findings suggest that NAB2 mRNA 3′-end formation requires the exosome and TRAMP complex, and that competition between polyadenylation and Rrp6p-dependent degradation controls the level of this mRNA.