Coding and noncoding RNAs can produce
peptides from small open reading frames (smORFs), with a variety of
mostly unknown functions.
Using a genome-wide screen, Zanet et al.
show that Polished rice (Pri) smORF peptides control fruit fly
development by binding to an E3 ubiquitin ligase. This changes
the ligase's selectivity and triggers
proteasome-dependent maturation of the developmental transcription
factor Shavenbaby.
Other smORF peptides may act by a similar mechanism
to regulate protein activity.
Science, this issue p. 1356
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