The first murine zygotic transcription is promiscuous and uncoupled from splicing and 3' processing.

ABSTRACT: Initiation of zygotic transcription in mammals is poorly understood. In mice, zygotic transcription is first detected shortly after pronucleus formation in 1-cell embryos, but the identity of the transcribed loci and mechanisms regulating their expression are not known. Using total RNA-Seq, we have found that transcription in 1-cell embryos is highly promiscuous, such that intergenic regions are extensively expressed and thousands of genes are transcribed at comparably low levels. Striking is that transcription can occur in the absence of defined core-promoter elements. Furthermore, accumulation of translatable zygotic mRNAs is minimal in 1-cell embryos because of inefficient splicing and 3' processing of nascent transcripts. These findings provide novel insights into regulation of gene ex

SUBMITTER: Abe K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4474528 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature