RNA polymerase II transcription on the fast lane

Abstract

Transcription by RNA polymerase II is the process that copies DNA into RNA leading to the expression of a specific gene. Averaged estimates of polymerase elongation rates in mammalian cells have been shown to vary between 1 and 4 kilobases per minute. However, recent advances in live cell imaging allowed direct measurements of RNA biogenesis from a single gene exceeded 50 kbmin-1. This unexpected finding opens novel and intriguing perspectives on the control of metazoan transcription. © 2012 Landes Bioscience.