Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #395887
Research Project: Metabolic and Epigenetic Regulation of Nutritional Metabolism

Location: Children's Nutrition Research Center

Title: Emerging roles of alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) in human disease

Author
item DHARMALINGAM, PRAKASH - Saveetha Institute Of Medical And Technical Sciences
item MAHALINGAM, RAJASEKARAN - Md Anderson Cancer Center
item YALAMANCHILI, HARI - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item WENG, TINGTING - University Of Texas Health Science Center
item KARMOUTY-QUINTANA, HARRY - University Of Texas Health Science Center
item GUHA, ASHRITH - Houston Methodist Research Institute
item THANDAVARAYAN, RAJARAJAN - Houston Methodist Research Institute

Submitted to: Journal of Cellular Physiology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2021
Publication Date: 8/11/2021
Citation: Dharmalingam, P., Mahalingam, R., Yalamanchili, H.K., Weng, T., Karmouty-Quintana, H., Guha, A., Thandavarayan, R.A. 2021. Emerging roles of alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) in human disease. Journal of Cellular Physiology. 237:149-160. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.30549.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.30549

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In the messenger RNA (mRNA) maturation process, the 3'-end of pre-mRNA is cleaved and a poly(A) sequence is added, this is an important determinant of mRNA stability and its cellular functions. More than 60%–70% of human genes have three or more polyadenylation (APA) sites and can be cleaved at different sites, generating mRNA transcripts of varying lengths. This phenomenon is termed as alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) and it plays role in key biological processes like gene regulation, cell proliferation, senescence,and also in various human diseases. Loss of regulatory microRNA binding sites and interactions with RNA-binding proteins leading to APA are largely investigated in human diseases. However, the functions of the core APA machinery and related factors during disease conditions remain largely unknown. In this review, we discuss the roles of polyadenylation machinery in relation to brain disease, cardiac failure, pulmonary fibrosis, cancer, infectious conditions, and other human diseases. Collectively, we believe this review will be a useful avenue for understanding the emerging role of APA in the pathobiology of various human diseases.