| 1. |
- García-Martínez, José, et al.
(author)
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The cellular growth rate controls overall mRNA turnover, and modulates either transcription or degradation rates of particular gene regulons.
- 2016
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In: Nucleic acids research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1362-4962 .- 0305-1048. ; 44:8, s. 3643-3658
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We analyzed 80 different genomic experiments, and found a positive correlation between both RNA polymerase II transcription and mRNA degradation with growth rates in yeast. Thus, in spite of the marked variation in mRNA turnover, the total mRNA concentration remained approximately constant. Some genes, however, regulated their mRNA concentration by uncoupling mRNA stability from the transcription rate. Ribosome-related genes modulated their transcription rates to increase mRNA levels under fast growth. In contrast, mitochondria-related and stress-induced genes lowered mRNA levels by reducing mRNA stability or the transcription rate, respectively. We also detected these regulations within the heterogeneity of a wild-type cell population growing in optimal conditions. The transcriptomic analysis of sorted microcolonies confirmed that the growth rate dictates alternative expression programs by modulating transcription and mRNA decay.The regulation of overall mRNA turnover keeps a constant ratio between mRNA decay and the dilution of [mRNA] caused by cellular growth. This regulation minimizes the indiscriminate transmission of mRNAs from mother to daughter cells, and favors the response capacity of the latter to physiological signals and environmental changes. We also conclude that, by uncoupling mRNA synthesis from decay, cells control the mRNA abundance of those gene regulons that characterize fast and slow growth.
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| 2. |
- Gómez-Navarro, Natalia, et al.
(author)
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Defects in the NC2 repressor affect both canonical and non-coding RNA polymerase II transcription initiation in yeast
- 2016
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In: BMC Genomics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2164. ; 17
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The formation of the pre-initiation complex in eukaryotic genes is a key step in transcription initiation. The TATA-binding protein (TBP) is a universal component of all pre-initiation complexes for all kinds of RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II) genes, including those with a TATA or a TATA-like element, both those that encode proteins and those that transcribe non-coding RNAs. Mot1 and the negative cofactor 2 (NC2) complex are regulators of TBP, and it has been shown that depletion of these factors in yeast leads to defects in the control of transcription initiation that alter cryptic transcription levels in selected yeast loci. Results: In order to cast light on the molecular functions of NC2, we performed genome-wide studies in conditional mutants in yeast NC2 essential subunits Ydr1 and Bur6. Our analyses show a generally increased level of cryptic transcription in all kinds of genes upon depletion of NC2 subunits, and that each kind of gene (canonical or ncRNAs, TATA or TATA-like) shows some differences in the cryptic transcription pattern for each NC2 mutant. Conclusions: We conclude that NC2 plays a general role in transcription initiation in RNA polymerase II genes that is related with its known TBP interchange function from free to promoter bound states. Therefore, loss of the NC2 function provokes increases in cryptic transcription throughout the yeast genome. Our results also suggest functional differences between NC2 subunits Ydr1 and Bur6.
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| 3. |
- Gutiérrez, Gabriel, et al.
(author)
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Subtracting the sequence bias from partially digested MNase-seq data reveals a general contribution of TFIIS to nucleosome positioning
- 2017
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In: Epigenetics & Chromatin. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1756-8935. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: TFIIS stimulates RNA cleavage by RNA polymerase II and promotes the resolution of backtracking events. TFIIS acts in the chromatin context, but its contribution to the chromatin landscape has not yet been investigated. Co-transcriptional chromatin alterations include subtle changes in nucleosome positioning, like those expected to be elicited by TFIIS, which are elusive to detect. The most popular method to map nucleosomes involves intensive chromatin digestion by micrococcal nuclease (MNase). Maps based on these exhaustively digested samples miss any MNase-sensitive nucleosomes caused by transcription. In contrast, partial digestion approaches preserve such nucleosomes, but introduce noise due to MNase sequence preferences. A systematic way of correcting this bias for massively parallel sequencing experiments is still missing.Results: To investigate the contribution of TFIIS to the chromatin landscape, we developed a refined nucleosome-mapping method in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on partial MNase digestion and a sequence-bias correction derived from naked DNA cleavage, the refined method efficiently mapped nucleosomes in promoter regions rich in MNase-sensitive structures. The naked DNA correction was also important for mapping gene body nucleosomes, particularly in those genes whose core promoters contain a canonical TATA element. With this improved method, we analyzed the global nucleosomal changes caused by lack of TFIIS. We detected a general increase in nucleosomal fuzziness and more restricted changes in nucleosome occupancy, which concentrated in some gene categories. The TATA-containing genes were preferentially associated with decreased occupancy in gene bodies, whereas the TATA-like genes did so with increased fuzziness. The detected chromatin alterations correlated with functional defects in nascent transcription, as revealed by genomic run-on experiments.Conclusions: The combination of partial MNase digestion and naked DNA correction of the sequence bias is a precise nucleosomal mapping method that does not exclude MNase-sensitive nucleosomes. This method is useful for detecting subtle alterations in nucleosome positioning produced by lack of TFIIS. Their analysis revealed that TFIIS generally contributed to nucleosome positioning in both gene promoters and bodies. The independent effect of lack of TFIIS on nucleosome occupancy and fuzziness supports the existence of alternative chromatin dynamics during transcription elongation.
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| 4. |
- Marín-Navarro, Julia, et al.
(author)
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Global estimation of mRNA stability in yeast
- 2011
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In: Methods in Molecular Biology. - Totowa, NJ : Humana Press. - 1064-3745 .- 1940-6029. ; 734, s. 3-23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Turnover of mRNA is an important level of gene regulation. Individual mRNAs have different intrinsic stabilities. Moreover, mRNA stability changes dynamically with conditions such as hormonal stimulation or cellular stress. While accurate methods exist to measure the half-life of an individual transcript, global methods to estimate mRNA turnover have limitations in terms of resolution in time and precision. We describe and compare two complementary approaches to estimating global transcript stability: (1) direct measurement of decay rates; (2) indirect estimation of turnover from determination of mRNA synthesis rates and steady-state levels. Since the two approaches have distinct strengths yet confer different cellular perturbations, it is valuable to consider results obtained with both methods. The practical aspects of the chapter are written from a yeast perspective; the general considerations hold true for all eukaryotes, however.
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