Coupled pre-mRNA and mRNA dynamics unveil operational strategies underlying transcriptional responses to stimuli.

ABSTRACT: Transcriptional responses to extracellular stimuli involve tuning the rates of transcript production and degradation. Here, we show that the time-dependent profiles of these rates can be inferred from simultaneous measurements of precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) and mature mRNA profiles. Transcriptome-wide measurements demonstrate that genes with similar mRNA profiles often exhibit marked differences in the amplitude and onset of their production rate. The latter is characterized by a large dynamic range, with a group of genes exhibiting an unexpectedly strong transient production overshoot, thereby accelerating their induction and, when combined with time-dependent degradation, shaping transient responses with precise timing and amplitude.

SUBMITTER: Zeisel A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3202801 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature