RNA polymerase II collision interrupts convergent transcription (RNA-seq)

ABSTRACT: Anti-sense non-coding transcripts, genes-within-genes, and convergent gene pairs are prevalent among eukaryotes. The existence of such transcription units raises the question of what happens when RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) molecules collide head-to-head. Here we use a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches in yeast to show that polymerases transcribing opposite DNA strands cannot bypass each other. RNAPII stops, but does not dissociate upon head-to-head collision in vitro, suggesting that opposing polymerases represent insurmountable obstacles for each other. Head-to-head collision in vivo results in RNAPII stopping as well, and removal of collided RNAPII from the DNA template can be achieved via ubiquitylation-directed proteolysis. Indeed, in cells lacking efficient RNAPII poly

ORGANISM(S): Saccharomyces cerevisiae

SUBMITTER: Wu Wei 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-38383 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress