Knowing what to keep and what to trash: How an enzyme distinguishes cellular messages

(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) In the cell, proteins read through messages to distinguish what needs to be saved and what needs to be discarded. Messages that are marked for disposal can drastically alter the fate of a cell. Stem cells use this mechanism to maintain their identity. How does a protein detect the difference between two similar messages? A team of CSHL scientists have found that the protein Dis3l2 uses numerous recognition sites to capture messages for decay.