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Abstract
The stress response in eukaryotic cells often inhibits translation initiation and
leads to the formation of cytoplasmic RNA-protein complexes referred to as stress
granules. Stress granules contain nontranslating mRNAs, translation initiation components,
and many additional proteins affecting mRNA function. Stress granules have been proposed
to affect mRNA translation and stability and have been linked to apoptosis and nuclear
processes. Stress granules also interact with P-bodies, another cytoplasmic RNP granule
containing nontranslating mRNA, translation repressors, and some mRNA degradation
machinery. Together, stress granules and P-bodies reveal a dynamic cycle of distinct
biochemical and compartmentalized mRNPs in the cytosol, with implications for the
control of mRNA function.
2009 Elsevier Inc.