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Related Concept Videos

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins02:36

RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...
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Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
Transcription Factors02:16

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The Eukaryotic Promoter Region

The eukaryotic promoter region is a segment of DNA located upstream of a gene. It contains an RNA polymerase binding site, a transcription start site, and several cis-regulatory sequences.  The proximal promoter region is located in the vicinity of the gene and has cis-regulatory sequences and the core promoter. The core promoter is the binding site for RNA polymerase and is usually located between -35 and +35 nucleotides from the transcription start site. The distal promoter regions are...
The Eukaryotic Promoter Region02:40

The Eukaryotic Promoter Region

The eukaryotic promoter region is a segment of DNA located upstream of a gene. It contains an RNA polymerase binding site, a transcription start site, and several cis-regulatory sequences.  The proximal promoter region is located in the vicinity of the gene and has cis-regulatory sequences and the core promoter. The core promoter is the binding site for RNA polymerase and is usually located between -35 and +35 nucleotides from the transcription start site. The distal promoter regions are...
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An Integrated Workflow to Study the Promoter-Centric Spatio-Temporal Genome Architecture in Scarce Cell Populations
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Noncoding transcription at enhancers: general principles and functional models.

Gioacchino Natoli1, Jean-Christophe Andrau

  • 1Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), I-20139 Milan, Italy. gioacchino.natoli@ifom-ieo-campus.it

Annual Review of Genetics
|August 22, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Mammalian genomes show extensive transcription outside protein-coding genes. Recent studies reveal cis-regulatory elements, like enhancers, are major sites of this extragenic noncoding transcription, with growing evidence for functional roles of enhancer RNAs.

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Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Transcriptional Regulation

Background:

  • Mammalian genomes are extensively transcribed beyond protein-coding genes.
  • Cis-regulatory elements, including enhancers, are identified as key sites of extragenic noncoding transcription.
  • Enhancer-templated transcripts, though quantitatively small, are increasingly investigated for potential functional roles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on enhancer transcription.
  • To explore the functional implications of enhancer RNAs.
  • To synthesize experimental evidence supporting roles beyond transcriptional noise.

Main Methods:

  • Review of genome-wide studies identifying sites of extragenic transcription.
  • Analysis of experimental data on enhancer transcription and enhancer RNAs.
  • Synthesis of existing literature on the functional relevance of noncoding transcripts.

Main Results:

  • Genome-wide studies confirm enhancers and locus-control regions as major sites of extragenic transcription.
  • Enhancer RNAs constitute a small fraction of total nonribosomal RNA.
  • Accumulating experimental evidence suggests functional roles for enhancer transcription and enhancer RNAs.

Conclusions:

  • Enhancer transcription is a significant feature of mammalian genomes.
  • Enhancer RNAs may play functional roles, not just represent transcriptional noise.
  • Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the functional implications of enhancer transcription.