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Persistence of backtracking by human RNA polymerase II.

Authors :
Yang KB
Rasouly A
Epshtein V
Martinez C
Nguyen T
Shamovsky I
Nudler E
Source :
BioRxiv : the preprint server for biology [bioRxiv] 2023 Dec 19. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Dec 19.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

RNA polymerase II (pol II) can backtrack during transcription elongation, exposing the 3' end of nascent RNA. Nascent RNA sequencing can approximate the location of backtracking events that are quickly resolved; however, the extent and genome wide distribution of more persistent backtracking is unknown. Consequently, we developed a novel method to directly sequence the extruded, "backtracked" 3' RNA. Our data shows that pol II slides backwards more than 20 nucleotides in human cells and can persist in this backtracked state. Persistent backtracking mainly occurs where pol II pauses near promoters and intron-exon junctions, and is enriched in genes involved in translation, replication, and development, where gene expression is decreased if these events are unresolved. Histone genes are highly prone to persistent backtracking, and the resolution of such events is likely required for timely expression during cell division. These results demonstrate that persistent backtracking has the potential to affect diverse gene expression programs.

Details

Language :
English
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
BioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Accession number :
38168453
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.13.571520