Abstract
The identities of different cells and tissues in multicellular organisms are determined by tightly controlled transcriptional programs that enable accurate gene expression. The mechanisms that regulate gene expression comprise diverse multiplayer molecular circuits of multiple dedicated components. The RNA polymerase II (Pol II) core promoter establishes the center of this spatiotemporally orchestrated molecular machine. Here, we discuss transcription initiation, diversity in core promoter composition, interactions of the basal transcription machinery with the core promoter, enhancer-promoter specificity, core promoter-preferential activation, enhancer RNAs, Pol II pausing, transcription termination, Pol II recycling and translation. We further discuss recent findings indicating that promoters and enhancers share similar features and may not substantially differ from each other, as previously assumed. Taken together, we review a broad spectrum of studies that highlight the importance of the core promoter and its pivotal role in the regulation of metazoan gene expression and suggest future research directions and challenges.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1116-1131 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms |
Volume | 1849 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Aug 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
Funding
We thank Ron Even for graphic design assistance. We thank Jim Kadonaga, Uwe Ohler, Sascha Duttke, Anna Sloutskin, Hila Shir-Shapira and Racheli Harshish for critical reading of the manuscript. Core promoter-related research in the Juven-Gershon lab is supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation (no. 798/10 ), the European Union Seventh Framework Programme ( Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant; no. 256491 ), the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (no. 2009428; joint with James T. Kadonaga) and the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (no. I-1220-363.13/2012 ; joint with Eileen E.M. Furlong).
Funders | Funder number |
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German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development | |
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation | 2009428 |
Israel Science Foundation | 798/10 |
Seventh Framework Programme | 256491 |
Keywords
- Core promoter
- Core promoter elements/motifs
- Core promoter preferential activation
- Enhancer-promoter specificity
- Gene expression
- RNA Pol II transcription