When:
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CT
Where: Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center, Simpson Querrey Auditorium, 303 E. Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611 map it
Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students
Contact:
Beverly A Kirk
(312) 503-5217
Group: Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics Distinguished Lectureship
Category: Lectures & Meetings
The Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics presents:
Karen Adelman, PhD
Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Blavatnik Institute
Harvard Medical School
"Coordinated Control of Coding and Non-Coding Transcription"
The transition of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) from initiation to productive elongation is a central, regulated step in metazoan gene expression. At many genes, Pol II pauses stably in early elongation, remaining engaged with the 25-60 nucleotide-long nascent RNA for many minutes while awaiting signals for release into the gene body. However, paused Pol II is unstable at a number of genes and a majority of enhancers, suggesting that promoter-proximal Pol II can be actively targeted for premature termination. Notably, such termination of Pol II releases a short, non-productive RNA, effectively short-circuiting the process of gene expression.
I will discuss our recent work investigating the decision between productive elongation vs. termination of Pol II near gene promoters and how this choice is made differently at enhancers. I will discuss the role of the Integrator complex in premature termination, and how elongation factors modulate Pol II activity.