The Landscape of C. elegans 3′UTRs

Abstract

A New Look at Old Data: Although the full genome of Caenorhabditis elegans has been available for over 10 years, only a portion of the full-length messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and their expression through development has been analyzed. By combining multiple methods, involving a careful reannotation of existing data sets, sequencing of poly-A captured RNAs from multiple developmental stages, as well as cloning and deep sequencing of a subset of genes, Mangone et al. (p. 432 , published online 3 June) defined ∼26,000 distinct mRNA three-prime untranslated regions (3′UTRs) for ∼85% of the protein-coding genes. Most C. elegans genes have more than one 3′UTR, arising through different mechanisms including trans-splicing–coupled cleavage and polyadenylation. The work highlights the importance of the 3'UTRs in the regulation of mRNA stability and translation.