Exosome complex component RRP41 (EXOSC4)

Non-catalytic component of the RNA exosome complex which has 3'->5' exoribonuclease activity and participates in a multitude of cellular RNA processing and degradation events. In the nucleus, the RNA exosome complex is involved in proper maturation of stable RNA species like rRNA, snRNA and snoRNA, in the elimination of RNA processing by-products and non-coding'pervasive' transcripts, such as antisense RNA species and promoter-upstream transcripts (PROMPTs), as well as mRNAs with processing defects, thereby limiting or excluding their export into the cytoplasm.

The RNA exosome may be involved in Ig class switch recombination (CSR) or Ig variable region somatic hypermutation (SHM) by targeting AICDA deamination action to transcribed dsDNA substrates. In the cytoplasm, the RNA exosome complex is involved in general mRNA turnover and especially degrades inherently unstable mRNAs containing AU-rich elements (AREs) in their 3' untranslated regions, and in RNA surveillance pathways, preventing translation of aberrant mRNAs.