EXOSC7 belongs to the RNase PH family. It is a component of the exosome 3'->5' exoribonuclease complex, a complex that degrades inherently unstable mRNAs containing AU-rich elements (AREs) within their 3'-untranslated regions. The protein is required for the 3'-processing of the 7S pre-RNA to the mature 5.8S rRNA.