SEC13 functions in the NMD pathway and together with core NMD factors regulates the unfolded protein response

The nonsense-mediated decay pathway (NMD) is an RNA quality control mechanism that regulates the stability of target RNAs. We previously identified SEC13 (nuclear pore and COPII coat complex component), as a novel NMD factor in C. elegans and in HeLa cells; however, its mechanistic role in the NMD pathway remains unexplored. SEC13 is a component of several cellular complexes, including the COPII vesicle coat, the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and the nutrient sensing GATOR2 complex. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that SEC13 co-regulates NMD targets with UPF1 and UPF2, acting on substrates translated both in the cytoplasm and at the ER. Importantly its role in NMD seems to operate independently of its function in other cellular complexes.