MCPIP1 – an important RNase controlling intracellular RNA pool
Natalia Pydyn 1 , Katarzyna Miękus 1 , Jerzy Kotlinowski 1Abstract
Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA pool is a key process coordinating the proper functioning of cells. This tight control of RNA molecules allows cells to quickly adapt to environmental conditions without the activation of translation. Degradation of RNA is one of the important mechanisms regulating RNA homeostasis. One of the protein involved in this process is a RNase called MCPIP1, whose function was described in 2009. The enzymatic activity of MCPIP1 is tightly linked to the zinc finger domain responsible for RNA binding and a catalytic domain that participates in endonucleolytic digestion of RNA molecules. MCPIP1 recognizes and cleaves a wide array of substrates, both endogenous mRNA, miRNA, and RNA viruses. Although MCPIP1 structure has not yet been resolved, it is known how an active center is formed and what motives in the RNA sequence are recognized and digested. MCPIP1 recognizes and cleaves RNA within the hairpin structure. Broad spectrum of MCPIP1 substrates makes this protein an important regulator of many biological processes such as inflammation, cell differentiation, tumor growth or viral infections. In this review we describe a structure, properties and biological function of RNase called MCPIP1.