Molecular biology - RNA lost in translation

For most human genes to be usefully expressed they must first be copied into messenger RNAs by the process of transcription. These then program large, RNA–protein complexes called ribosomes to synthesize a specific protein by ‘translation’. The fidelity of mRNA translation into protein is vital for the overall accuracy of gene expression, and cells have evolved ways to detect any aberrant mRNAs that have structural defects. Doma and Parker (page 561 of this issue)1 have discovered an mRNA quality-control system — ‘no-go decay’ — with some unexpected features.