Rules of engagement: co-transcriptional recruitment of pre-mRNA processing factors.
The universal pre-mRNA processing events of 5' end capping, splicing, and 3' end formation by cleavage/polyadenylation occur co-transcriptionally. As a result, the substrate for mRNA processing factors is a nascent RNA chain that is being extruded from the RNA polymerase II exit channel at 10-30 bases per second. How do processing factors find their substrate RNAs and complete most mRNA maturation before transcription is finished? Recent studies suggest that this task is facilitated by a combination of protein-RNA and protein-protein interactions within a 'mRNA factory' that comprises the elongating RNA polymerase and associated processing factors. This 'factory' undergoes dynamic changes in composition as it traverses a gene and provides the setting for regulatory interactions that couple processing to transcriptional elongation and termination.
Bentley
David L
DL
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, UCHSC at Fitzsimons, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA. David.Bentley@UCHSC.edu
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D012315:RNA Caps / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000502:physiology; D017381:Spliceosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D012315:RNA Caps; D012322:RNA Precursors; D012319:RNA Polymerase II