Stop codon context modulates NMD efficiency through translation termination kinetics.

Abstract

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay efficiency varies unpredictably across transcripts containing premature termination codons. A new study by Kolakada et al.¹ demonstrates that glycine residues preceding stop codons create an extended translation termination window that enhances NMD activity, offering new mechanistic explanations for NMD variability and improved clinical variant interpretation.