On the Structure and Function of Transcription Bodies

Transcription is a key process in the life of cells. In the 1990s, cell biologists observed that transcription often takes place in discrete transcription bodies in eukaryotic nuclei, which has sparked an exciting new field of research. Transcription bodies are sites of accumulated transcriptional machinery that regulate the transcription of one or multiple genes. In recent years, we have begun to understand the relationships between transcription bodies and the genome, how transcription bodies assemble, and how they impact transcriptional activity. Much, however, remains unclear: for example, how specificity in the clustering of proteins is achieved, how multiple genes come together in nuclear space, how the dynamic behavior of transcription bodies impacts their function, and in which ways transcription bodies affect transcription. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of knowledge, as well as the open questions, and how these may be addressed using emerging technologies.