cytoplasmic exosome (RNase complex)

GO:0000177 · Ribonucleoprotein · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

A ribonuclease complex that has 3-prime to 5-prime processive hydrolytic exoribonuclease activity producing 5-prime-phosphomonoesters. Participates in a multitude of cellular RNA processing and degradation events preventing nuclear export and/or translation of aberrant RNAs. Restricted to processing linear and circular single-stranded RNAs (ssRNA) only. RNAs with complex secondary structures may have to be unwound or pre-processed by co-factors prior to entering the complex, esp if the 3-prime end is structured. [GO:0000177]

Synonyms: cytoplasmic exosome (ribonuclease complex); cytoplasmic exosome multienzyme ribonuclease complex; prokaryotic exosome multienzyme ribonuclease complex

Part of: GO:0005737 — cytoplasm (no local record)

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Functions

• RNA catabolic process GO:0006401 — The cytoplasmic exosome participates in degradation of RNA substrates.
  • GO:0006401 GO:0006401 is the Gene Ontology biological-process term for RNA catabolic process.
  • GO:0000177 GO:0000177 defines the cytoplasmic exosome RNase complex as participating in RNA degradation events.
• RNA processing GO:0006396 — The cytoplasmic exosome participates in processing RNA transcripts.
  • GO:0006396 GO:0006396 is the Gene Ontology biological-process term for RNA processing.
  • GO:0000177 GO:0000177 defines the cytoplasmic exosome RNase complex as participating in RNA processing events.

Mechanism graphs

Cytoplasmic exosome acts in RNA processing and decay (FUNCTION)

GO defines the cytoplasmic exosome as an exosome RNase complex located in the cytoplasm that participates in RNA processing and degradation events.

Discussions

• CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral component boundaries for cytoplasmic exosome RNase complexes. The first GO:0000177 record captures the GO-defined cytoplasmic exosome localization and RNA processing/decay activities. Exact source-neutral boundaries for the exosome core and catalytic nucleases should be curated from primary component evidence before assigning constituents.

Evidence

• GO:0000177 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the cytoplasmic exosome RNase complex and its exact synonyms.
• GO:0000178 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the broader exosome RNase complex in the GO:0000177 logical definition.
• GO:0005737 — cytoplasm Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the cytoplasm in the GO:0000177 logical definition.
• GO:0006401 Gene Ontology biological-process term for RNA catabolic process.
• GO:0006396 Gene Ontology biological-process term for RNA processing.
• PMID:17174896 Liu, Greimann and Lima 2006, Reconstitution, activities, and structure of the eukaryotic RNA exosome, Cell; PMID cited in the GO:0000177 definition xrefs.
• PMID:20531386 Tomecki et al. 2010, The human core exosome interacts with differentially localized processive RNases: hDIS3 and hDIS3L, EMBO Journal; PMID cited in the GO:0000177 definition xrefs.
• PMID:26726035 Kilchert, Wittmann and Vasiljeva 2016, The regulation and functions of the nuclear RNA exosome complex, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology; PMID cited in the GO:0000177 definition xrefs.

Curation history

• 2026-09-25T14:57:15Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
• 2026-09-25T14:57:54Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO exact synonymy, exosome parentage and cytoplasmic parthood, conservative GO-backed RNA processing and degradation functions, GO/PubMed evidence, a nonmechanistic localization/function graph and a component-boundary TODO.

Source: data/structures/ribonucleoprotein/cytoplasmic_exosome_rnase_complex.yaml