Mechanisms of cellular mRNA transcript homeostasis
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1Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Abstract:
For most genes, mRNA transcript abundance scales with cell size to ensure a constant concentration. Scaling of mRNA synthesis rates with cell size plays an important role, with regulation of the activity and abundance of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) now emerging as a key point of control. However, there is also considerable evidence for feedback mechanisms that kinetically couple the rates of mRNA synthesis, nuclear export, and degradation to allow cells to compensate for changes in one by adjusting the others. Researchers are beginning to integrate results from these different fields to reveal the mechanisms underlying transcript homeostasis. This will be crucial for moving beyond our current understanding of relative gene expression towards an appreciation of how absolute transcript levels are linked to other aspects of the cellular phenotype.
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