mRNA decay systems control mRNA abundance by counterbalancing transcription. Several recent studies show that mRNA decay pathways are crucial to conventional T and B cell development in vertebrates, in addition to suppressing autoimmunity and excessive inflammatory responses. Selective mRNA degradation triggered by the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex appears to be required in lymphocyte development, cell quiescence, V(D)J (variable-diversity-joining) recombination, and prevention of inappropriate apoptosis in mice. Moreover, a recent study suggests that mRNA decay may be involved in preventing human hyperinflammatory disease. These findings imply that mRNA decay pathways in humans and mice do not simply maintain mRNA homeostatic turnover but can also precisely regulate immune development and immunological responses by selectively targeting mRNAs.

mRNA衰变系统通过平衡转录来控制mRNA的丰度。最近的一些研究表明，mRNA衰变途径除了抑制自身免疫和过度的炎症反应外，对于脊椎动物中常规T和B细胞的发育也至关重要。由CCR4-NOT腺苷酸酶复合物触发的选择性mRNA降解似乎在淋巴细胞发育，细胞静止，V（D）J（可变多样性连接）重组以及预防小鼠中不适当的细胞凋亡中是必需的。此外，最近的一项研究表明，mRNA的衰变可能与预防人类炎症性疾病有关。这些发现暗示人和小鼠中的mRNA衰变途径不仅可以维持mRNA体内稳态，而且还可以通过选择性靶向mRNA来精确地调节免疫发展和免疫反应。