nuclear exosome (RNase complex)

GO:0000176 · Ribonucleoprotein · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

A ribonuclease complex that has 3-prime to 5-prime processive and distributive hydrolytic exoribonuclease activity and endoribonuclease 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:0000176]

Synonyms: eukaryotic exosome multienzyme ribonuclease complex; nuclear exosome (ribonuclease complex); nuclear exosome multienzyme ribonuclease complex

Part of: nuclear lumen (GO:0031981)

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

Functions

RNA catabolic process GO:0006401 — The nuclear exosome participates in degradation of RNA substrates.
- GO:0006401 GO:0006401 is the Gene Ontology biological-process term for RNA catabolic process.
- GO:0000176 GO:0000176 defines the nuclear exosome RNase complex as participating in RNA degradation events.
RNA processing GO:0006396 — The nuclear exosome participates in processing RNA transcripts.
- GO:0006396 GO:0006396 is the Gene Ontology biological-process term for RNA processing.
- GO:0000176 GO:0000176 defines the nuclear exosome RNase complex as participating in RNA processing events.

Mechanism graphs

Nuclear exosome acts in RNA processing and decay (FUNCTION)

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

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
nuclear exosome (RNase complex)	localizes to	nuclear lumen	`GO:0000176` GO:0000176 records the nuclear exosome RNase complex as part_of the nuclear lumen. `GO:0031981` GO:0031981 is the Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the nuclear lumen.
nuclear exosome (RNase complex)	supports	RNA catabolic process	`GO:0000176` GO:0000176 defines the complex as participating in RNA degradation events.
nuclear exosome (RNase complex)	supports	RNA processing	`GO:0000176` GO:0000176 defines the complex as participating in RNA processing events.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral component boundaries for nuclear exosome RNase complexes. The first GO:0000176 record captures the GO-defined nuclear exosome localization and RNA processing/decay activities. Exact source-neutral boundaries for the nine-subunit core, catalytic nucleases and nuclear cofactors should be curated from primary component evidence before assigning constituents.

Evidence

GO:0000176 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the nuclear exosome RNase complex and its exact synonyms.
GO:0140513 Gene Ontology cellular-component parent term for nuclear protein-containing complexes.
GO:0000178 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the broader exosome RNase complex in the GO:0000176 logical definition.
GO:0031981 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the nuclear lumen, which GO:0000176 places the nuclear exosome part_of.
GO:0005634 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the nucleus in the GO:0000176 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:0000176 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:0000176 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:0000176 definition xrefs.

Curation history

2026-09-25T14:35:28Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-25T14:36:04Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO exact synonymy, nuclear exosome parentage and 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/nuclear_exosome_rnase_complex.yaml