Project description: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-ubiquitylation, the half-life of collided polymerases increases, so that these can be detected between convergent genes by ChIP-Seq. These results provide new insight into fundamental mechanisms of gene traffic control, and point to an unexplored effect of anti-sense transcription on gene regulation via polymerase collision.

2012-11-30 | GSE38383 | GEO

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

2012-11-30 | GSE38382 | GEO

Condensin Controls Recruitment of RNA Polymerase II to Achieve X-Chromosome Dosage Compensation

Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below. Refer to individual Series

2013-06-18 | E-GEOD-43087 | biostudies-arrayexpress