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Mol. Cell. Biol., Oct 1997, 5791-5802, Vol 17, No. 10
GG Parsons and CA Spencer
Nuclear RNA synthesis is repressed during the mitotic phase of each cell
cycle. Although total RNA synthesis remains low throughout mitosis, the
degree of RNA polymerase II transcription repression on specific genes has
not been examined. In addition, it is not known whether mitotic repression
of RNA polymerase II transcription is due to polymerase pausing or ejection
of transcription elongation complexes from mitotic chromosomes. In this
study, we show that RNA polymerase II transcription is repressed in
mammalian cells on a number of specific gene regions during mitosis. We
also show that the majority of RNA polymerase II transcription elongation
complexes are physically excluded from mitotic chromosomes between late
prophase and late telophase. Despite generalized transcription repression
and stripping of RNA polymerase II complexes from DNA, arrested RNA
polymerase II ternary complexes appear to remain on some gene regions
during mitosis. The cyclic repression of transcription and ejection of RNA
polymerase II transcription elongation complexes may help regulate the
transcriptional events that control cell cycle progression and
differentiation.
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology
Mitotic repression of RNA polymerase II transcription is accompanied by release of transcription elongation complexes
Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
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