{
  "abstract": "Mammalian genomes produce many unstable non-coding transcripts (e.g., PROMPTs and eRNAs) that are rapidly degraded by the nuclear exosome. This study tests whether adding splicing and polyadenylation signals to endogenous non-coding loci can convert them into stable mRNAs. Using CRISPR-Cas9 knock-in in murine cancer cells, the authors show that both signals together render transcripts stable, polyadenylated, exported, and translated into protein. Quantitatively, polyadenylation extends half-life from ~20 minutes to ~12 hours, while splicing primarily drives nuclear export, with export efficiency predicting protein output. Interestingly, untranslated regions of naturally intronless genes can substitute for splicing, mainly by enhancing export. A genome-wide CRISPR screen implicates export, processing, and translation factors such as NXF1, PABPN1, and EIF3G in this conversion. Overall, defined cis-elements suffice to transform pervasive transcripts into functional mRNAs, with nuclear export as the key rate-limiting step. This provides experimental evidence for a potential evolutionary path by which non-coding loci can be co-opted into the coding genome.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Tsinghua University"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "C. J. David"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. Zhang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7dna8jz0q17w3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.02.749023",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.749023v1.full",
  "id": "7dna8jz0q17w3",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.749023v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "molecular biology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|RNA Research and Splicing"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7208789337",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.749023v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-02",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7dna8jz0q17w3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:28Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.02.749023",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.02.749023v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "biorxiv:molecular biology",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Cis-element acquisition converts pervasive transcripts into translated mRNAs",
  "title_text": "Cis-element acquisition converts pervasive transcripts into translated mRNAs",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:28Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7dna8jz0q17w3",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}