Nearly all mRNAs are post-transcriptionally modified at their 5' and 3' end
s, by capping and polyadenylation, respectively. These essential modificati
ons are of course chemically quite distinct, as are the enzymatic complexes
responsible for their synthesis. But recent studies have uncovered some si
milarities as well. For example, both involve entirely protein machinery, w
hich is now the exception rather than the rule in RNA processing and modifi
cation reactions, and the two reactions share one important factor, namely
RNA polymerase II. In this brief review, we describe progress in understand
ing the enzymes and factors that participate in these two processes, highli
ghting the evolutionary conservation, from yeast to humans, that has become
apparent.