title: Pol II waiting in the starting gates: Regulating the transition from transcription initiation into productive elongation.
abstract: Proper regulation of gene expression is essential for the differentiation, development and survival of all cells and organisms. Recent work demonstrates that transcription of many genes, including key developmental and stimulus-responsive genes, is regulated after the initiation step, by pausing of RNA polymerase II during elongation through the promoter-proximal region. Thus, there is great interest in better understanding the events that follow transcription initiation and the ways in which the efficiency of early elongation can be modulated to impact expression of these highly regulated genes. Here we describe our current understanding of the steps involved in the transition from an unstable initially transcribing complex into a highly stable and processive elongation complex. We also discuss the interplay between factors that affect early transcript elongation and the potential physiological consequences for genes that are regulated through transcriptional pausing.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Sergei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nechaev
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adelman
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011485:Protein Binding; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors
chemical_list: C411985:NSMF protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C112224:SUPT5H protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; D004247:DNA; D012319:RNA Polymerase II