Publication Date:
2011-03-19
Description:
In prokaryotes and eukaryotes, most genes appear to be transcribed during short periods called transcriptional bursts, interspersed by silent intervals. We describe how such bursts generate gene-specific temporal patterns of messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis in mammalian cells. To monitor transcription at high temporal resolution, we established various gene trap cell lines and transgenic cell lines expressing a short-lived luciferase protein from an unstable mRNA, and recorded bioluminescence in real time in single cells. Mathematical modeling identified gene-specific on- and off-switching rates in transcriptional activity and mean numbers of mRNAs produced during the bursts. Transcriptional kinetics were markedly altered by cis-regulatory DNA elements. Our analysis demonstrated that bursting kinetics are highly gene-specific, reflecting refractory periods during which genes stay inactive for a certain time before switching on again.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Suter, David M -- Molina, Nacho -- Gatfield, David -- Schneider, Kim -- Schibler, Ueli -- Naef, Felix -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2011 Apr 22;332(6028):472-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1198817. Epub 2011 Mar 17.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Department of Molecular Biology, Sciences III, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21415320" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Acetylation
;
Animals
;
Cells, Cultured
;
Chromatin/physiology
;
Circadian Rhythm/genetics
;
Down-Regulation
;
*Gene Expression
;
Histones/metabolism
;
Kinetics
;
Luminescent Measurements
;
Mice
;
Models, Genetic
;
NIH 3T3 Cells
;
Promoter Regions, Genetic
;
Protein Biosynthesis
;
RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism
;
Stochastic Processes
;
*Transcription, Genetic
;
Transcriptional Activation
;
Transgenes
;
Up-Regulation
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
