RNA Polymerase II cluster dynamics predict mRNA output in living cells
Protein clustering is a hallmark of genome regulation in mammalian cells. However, the dynamic molecular processes involved make it difficult to correlate clustering with functional consequences in vivo. We developed a live-cell super-resolution approach to uncover the correlation between mRNA synth...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/108356 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9336-0686 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9746-6007 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1867-4380 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8493-4721 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8764-1809 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0362-0072 |
| Summary: | Protein clustering is a hallmark of genome regulation in mammalian cells. However, the dynamic molecular processes involved make it difficult to correlate clustering with functional consequences in vivo. We developed a live-cell super-resolution approach to uncover the correlation between mRNA synthesis and the dynamics of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) clusters at a gene locus. For endogenous β-actin genes in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, we observe that short-lived (~8 s) Pol II clusters correlate with basal mRNA output. During serum stimulation, a stereotyped increase in Pol II cluster lifetime correlates with a proportionate increase in the number of mRNAs synthesized. Our findings suggest that transient clustering of Pol II may constitute a pre-transcriptional regulatory event that predictably modulates nascent mRNA output. |
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