TUT7 (human), recombinant protein

Protein function: Uridylyltransferase that mediates the terminal uridylation of mRNAs with short (less than 25 nucleotides) poly(A) tails, hence facilitating global mRNA decay (PubMed:19703396, PubMed:25480299). Essential for both oocyte maturation and fertility. Through 3' terminal uridylation of mRNA, sculpts, with TUT7, the maternal transcriptome by eliminating transcripts during oocyte growth. Involved in microRNA (miRNA)-induced gene silencing through uridylation of deadenylated miRNA targets (PubMed:25480299). Also functions as an integral regulator of microRNA biogenesiS using 3 different uridylation mechanisms (PubMed:25979828). Acts as a suppressor of miRNA biogenesis by mediating the terminal uridylation of some miRNA precursors, including that of let-7 (pre-let-7). Uridylated pre-let-7 RNA is not processed by Dicer and undergo degradation. Pre-let-7 uridylation is strongly enhanced in the presence of LIN28A (PubMed:22898984). In the absence of LIN28A, TUT7 and TUT4 monouridylate group II pre-miRNAs, which includes most of pre-let7 members, that shapes an optimal 3' end overhang for efficient processing (PubMed:25979828, PubMed:28671666). Add oligo-U tails to truncated pre-miRNAS with a 5' overhang which may promote rapid degradation of non-functional pre-miRNA species (PubMed:25979828). Does not play a role in replication-dependent histone mRNA degradation (PubMed:18172165). Due to functional redundancy between TUT4 and TUT7, the identification of the specific role of each of these proteins is difficult (PubMed:25979828, PubMed:25480299, PubMed:19703396, PubMed:22898984, PubMed:18172165, PubMed:28671666). TUT4 and TUT7 restrict retrotransposition of long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) in cooperation with MOV10 counteracting the RNA chaperonne activity of L1RE1. TUT7 uridylates LINE-1 mRNAs in the cytoplasm which inhibits initiation of reverse transcription once in the nucleus, whereas uridylation by TUT4 destabilizes mRNAs in cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein granules (PubMed:30122351). [The UniProt Consortium]