Cracking the RNA polymerase II CTD code.

Journal article

The carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II comprises multiple tandem conserved heptapeptide repeats, unique to this eukaryotic RNA polymerase. This unusual structure provides a docking platform for factors involved in various co-transcriptional events. Recruitment of the appropriate factors at different stages of the transcription cycle is achieved through changing patterns of post-translational modification of the CTD repeats, which create a readable 'code'. A new phosphorylation mark both expands the CTD code and provides the first example of a CTD signal read in a gene type-specific manner. How and when is the code written and read? How does it contribute to transcription and coordinate RNA processing?

Authors: Egloff, S; Murphy, S

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Trends in genetics : TIG
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 280-288
• Publication date: 2008-06-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2008.03.008
• ISSN: 0168-9525
• Language: English
• Keywords: Transcription, Genetic; Models, Biological; Humans; Amino Acid Motifs; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Peptide Elongation Factors; Protein Binding; Histone Code; Endoribonucleases; RNA Polymerase II; Protein Processing, Post-Translational