Tiny RNAs associated with transcription start sites in animals.
It has been reported that relatively short RNAs of heterogeneous sizes are derived from sequences near the promoters of eukaryotic genes. In conjunction with the FANTOM4 project, we have identified tiny RNAs with a modal length of 18 nt that map within -60 to +120 nt of transcription start sites (TSSs) in human, chicken and Drosophila. These transcription initiation RNAs (tiRNAs) are derived from sequences on the same strand as the TSS and are preferentially associated with G+C-rich promoters. The 5' ends of tiRNAs show peak density 10-30 nt downstream of TSSs, indicating that they are processed. tiRNAs are generally, although not exclusively, associated with highly expressed transcripts and sites of RNA polymerase II binding. We suggest that tiRNAs may be a general feature of transcription in metazoa and possibly all eukaryotes.
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
Ryan J
RJ
Taft
Evgeny A
EA
Glazov
Nicole
N
Cloonan
Cas
C
Simons
Stuart
S
Stephen
Geoffrey J
GJ
Faulkner
Timo
T
Lassmann
Alistair R R
AR
Forrest
Sean M
SM
Grimmond
Kate
K
Schroder
Katharine
K
Irvine
Takahiro
T
Arakawa
Mari
M
Nakamura
Atsutaka
A
Kubosaki
Kengo
K
Hayashida
Chika
C
Kawazu
Mitsuyoshi
M
Murata
Hiromi
H
Nishiyori
Shiro
S
Fukuda
Jun
J
Kawai
Carsten O
CO
Daub
David A
DA
Hume
Harukazu
H
Suzuki
Valerio
V
Orlando
Piero
P
Carninci
Yoshihide
Y
Hayashizaki
John S
JS
Mattick
D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D024363:Transcription Initiation Site; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D012313:RNA