title: Nucleolin: dual roles in rDNA chromatin transcription.
abstract: Nucleolin is a major nucleolar protein conserved in all eukaryotic organisms. It is a multifunctional protein involved in different cellular aspects like chromatin organization and stability, DNA and RNA metabolism, assembly of ribonucleoprotein complexes, cytokinesis, cell proliferation and stress response. The multifunctionality of nucleolin is linked to its tripartite structure, post-translational modifications and its ability of shuttling from and to the nucleolus/nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. Nucleolin has been now studied for many years and its activities and properties have been described in a number of excellent reviews. Here, we overview the role of nucleolin in RNA polymerase I (RNAPI) transcription and describe recent results concerning its functional interaction with rDNA chromatin organization. For a long time, nucleolin has been associated with rRNA gene expression and pre-rRNA processing. However, the functional connection between nucleolin and active versus inactive rRNA genes is still not fully understood. Novel evidence indicates that the nucleolin protein might be required for controlling the transcriptional ON/OFF states of rDNA chromatin in both mammals and plants.
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, UMR 5096, 66860 Perpignan, France; Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, UMR 5096, F-66860 Perpignan, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Durut
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, UMR 5096, 66860 Perpignan, France; Univ. Perpignan Via Domitia, Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, UMR 5096, F-66860 Perpignan, France. Electronic address: saez@univ-perp.fr.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sáez-Vásquez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D006801:Humans; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012318:RNA Polymerase I / Q000502:physiology; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D000097796:Nucleolin
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012318:RNA Polymerase I; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000097796:Nucleolin
keywords: Chromatin; Epigenetics; Nucleolin; Nucleolus; RNA pol I; rDNA