title: Terminate and make a loop: regulation of transcriptional directionality.
abstract: Bidirectional promoters are a common feature of many eukaryotic organisms from yeast to humans. RNA Polymerase II that is recruited to this type of promoter can start transcribing in either direction using alternative DNA strands as the template. Such promiscuous transcription can lead to the synthesis of unwanted transcripts that may have negative effects on gene expression. Recent studies have identified transcription termination and gene looping as critical players in the enforcement of promoter directionality. Interestingly, both mechanisms share key components. Here, we focus on recent findings relating to the transcriptional output of bidirectional promoters.
authors.affiliation: Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grzechnik
authors.affiliation: Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.
authors.forename: Sue Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tan-Wong
authors.affiliation: Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK. Electronic address: nicholas.proudfoot@path.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nick J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Proudfoot
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D061806:Transcription Termination, Genetic
chemical_list: D012319:RNA Polymerase II
keywords: bidirectional promoters; gene loops; transcriptional termination