Divergent transcription and epigenetic directionality of human promoters.
Genome-wide datasets measuring nascent RNA have revealed that active human promoters frequently display divergent transcription, generating a stable mRNA in the forward direction toward the gene and a typically unstable one in the reverse direction away from the gene. Recent work has shown that these transcripts originate from two distinct core promoters within a single nucleosome-free region (NFR). Different levels of forward and reverse activity lead to a wide range of directionality for promoter NFRs. Importantly, directionality is also reflected in the epigenetic modifications of nucleosomes immediately adjacent to the NFR. Here, we review the current literature pertaining to divergent transcription from promoter NFRs and its association with combinatorial histone post-translational modifications, or chromatin states, on upstream and downstream nucleosomes. Finally, we discuss several models to interpret the directionality of promoter chromatin states.
Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.|Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Germany.
Scott A
SA
Lacadie
Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.|Department of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
Mahmoud M
MM
Ibrahim
Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Sucheta A
SA
Gokhale
Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.|Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Germany.|Department of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
Uwe
U
Ohler
D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D009707:Nucleosomes
divergent transcription; histone modification; nucleosome-free region; promoter