Grant: Project Grant

Transcription is the very first step in gene expression. It consists in producing a messenger molecule (the messenger RNA) that provides instructions for the synthesis of the protein encoded by a given gene. Transcription is tightly regulated as it is in large part dictating which proteins are produced by a given cell. Regulating transcription is therefore key for processes such as cellular differentiation and homeostasis. Inappropriate transcription can have catastrophic consequences such as emergence of cancer cells. Transcription of protein-encoding genes is executed by an enzyme called RNA polymerase II. This enzyme contains a unique domain called CTD. The CTD acts as a connector that allows coherent organization of the different enzymatic reactions required to produce a functional messenger RNA, and hence a functional protein. This application aims at understanding the molecular mechanisms allowing the CTD to achieve its connecting function.