title: Identification and characterization of human snoRNA core promoters.
abstract: Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) represent one of the largest groups of functional non-protein coding RNAs currently known in eukaryotic cells. The processing of intron encoded snoRNAs has been well documented; however, the transcriptional regulation of snoRNA genes is still poorly understood, most likely due to the lack of characterization of snoRNA promoters. Here we used a computational approach to predict core promoters for 131 human snoRNAs. Majority of putative snoRNA promoters are supported by DNase I hypersensitivities, RNA polymerase II ChIP-seq peaks, or CAGE tag clusters. Based on the genomic organizations of predicted human snoRNA promoters, we propose five transcriptional models of those snoRNA genes; we also found evidence that some intronic human snoRNAs might have their own promoters. The present study is the first in silico screening of human snoRNAs promoters; and we anticipate the data will facilitate further molecular characterization of transcriptional control of human snoRNA genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xueya
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiaowo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dahai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D006801:Humans; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D050436:Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D020537:RNA, Small Nucleolar