Pathways of mRNA decay in trypanosomes

Messenger RNA (mRNA) decay is a central determinant of gene expression in eukaryotes, functioning both as a quality control mechanism and as a regulatory layer that shapes transcript abundance. In trypanosomes, including Trypanosoma brucei, gene expression relies almost entirely on post-transcriptional mechanisms due to polycistronic transcription and the near absence of promoter-specific transcriptional regulation. As a result, mRNA stability plays a dominant role in controlling protein output