title: CDK regulation of transcription by RNAP II: Not over 'til it's over?
abstract: Transcription by RNA polymerase (RNAP) II is regulated at multiple steps by phosphorylation, catalyzed mainly by members of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) family. The CDKs involved in transcription have overlapping substrate specificities, but play largely non-redundant roles in coordinating gene expression. Novel functions and targets of CDKs have recently emerged at the end of the transcription cycle, when the primary transcript is cleaved, and in most cases polyadenylated, and transcription is terminated by the action of the "torpedo" exonuclease Xrn2, which is a CDK substrate. Collectively, various functions have been ascribed to CDKs or CDK-mediated phosphorylation: recruiting cleavage and polyadenylation factors, preventing premature termination within gene bodies while promoting efficient termination of full-length transcripts, and preventing extensive readthrough transcription into intergenic regions or neighboring genes. The assignment of precise functions to specific CDKs is still in progress, but recent advances suggest ways in which the CDK network and RNAP II machinery might cooperate to ensure timely exit from the transcription cycle.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Oncological Sciences , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005095:Exoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation; D042925:Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B / Q000378:metabolism; D039104:RNA 3' Polyadenylation Signals; D034622:RNA Interference; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D061806:Transcription Termination, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D039221:mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D039221:mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factors; D042925:Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D005095:Exoribonucleases; C120903:XRN2 protein, human
keywords: C-terminal domain; cleavage and polyadenylation; Cyclin-dependent kinase; positive transcription elongation factor b; protein phosphorylation; RNA polymerase II; RNA processing; transcription termination; Xrn2