Inhibition of nonsense-mediated RNA decay by the tumor microenvironment promotes tumorigenesis

Nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) is regulated by a variety of cellular stresses. We expose U2OS cells to several stresses and assess RNA expression in the absence of transcription (i.e. stability). These studies identify transcripts that are stabilized by the physiological inhibition of NMD. U2OS cells rendered hypoxia for three hours, treated with tunicamycin for three hours, treated with emetine for three hours, or depleted of Upf1/Rent1 were treated with DRB, and RNA was collected at 0, 1.5, 3 and 4.5 hrs.