There may be multiple loci in Qrr1 that modulate different stages of protein metabolism in the CNS. Maintenance of cellular protein homeostasis requires finely tuned cross talk between transcription and RNA processing, the translation machinery, and protein degradation [90]–[92], gene functions highly overrepresented among the transcripts that map to Qrr1. While these are generic cellular processes, there are unique demands on protein metabolism in the nervous system. Neurons are highly polarized cells and specialized mechanisms are in place to manage local protein synthesis and degradation in dendrites and axons [93]. The nervous system is also particularly sensitive to imbalances in protein homeostasis [94],[95], a possible reason why the trans-effects of Qrr1 are detected only in neural tissues.
