In higher eukaryotes, transcription of messenger RNA (mRNA) by RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) is precisely regulated to establish cell-type specific transcriptional programs, while disease states of cells are characterized by specific disruptions to these transcriptional programs. Moreover, transcription can be temporally regulated allowing cells the ability to respond to external environmental cues such as growth factors and heat shock.
The complexity of eukaryotic mRNA regulation involves the combinatorial influence of several molecular mechanisms, which include changes in chromatin topology, promoter accessibility by histone modifications, mRNA processing, RNAPII behaviour due to post-translational modification (like phosphorylation). Additionally, regulatory protein complexes undergo dynamic changes in their composition in response to different stimuli. Thus, transcription must be coordinated with other processes like replication or DNA damage response as well. This emerging appreciation of the multi-step regulation of transcription provides a new avenue to explore disease mechanisms and identify novel drug targets.
In the last decade, many novel concepts and mechanisms have been discovered in the field of transcription research, which have not only enhanced the mechanistic understanding of the concept, but also progressed the application of this understanding into various diseases.
The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together these novel findings and explore the mechanisms that cause the transcriptional regulation to deviate in disease states from the perspective of chromatin topology, RNAPII regulation and epigenetics. We welcome original articles, methods and reviews/mini-reviews falling under the following topics (but not limited to):
• Abnormal behavior of RNAPII in cellular models of cancer.
• Novel regulators of transcription.
• Gene expression and chromosome accessibility in single cells.
• Coordination of transcription with other processes (replication, DNA damage response, splicing).
• Chromatin dynamics in diseases.
• Oncoproteins in the regulation of the transcriptional cycle.
• lncRNA in deregulation of transcription in diseases.
In higher eukaryotes, transcription of messenger RNA (mRNA) by RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) is precisely regulated to establish cell-type specific transcriptional programs, while disease states of cells are characterized by specific disruptions to these transcriptional programs. Moreover, transcription can be temporally regulated allowing cells the ability to respond to external environmental cues such as growth factors and heat shock.
The complexity of eukaryotic mRNA regulation involves the combinatorial influence of several molecular mechanisms, which include changes in chromatin topology, promoter accessibility by histone modifications, mRNA processing, RNAPII behaviour due to post-translational modification (like phosphorylation). Additionally, regulatory protein complexes undergo dynamic changes in their composition in response to different stimuli. Thus, transcription must be coordinated with other processes like replication or DNA damage response as well. This emerging appreciation of the multi-step regulation of transcription provides a new avenue to explore disease mechanisms and identify novel drug targets.
In the last decade, many novel concepts and mechanisms have been discovered in the field of transcription research, which have not only enhanced the mechanistic understanding of the concept, but also progressed the application of this understanding into various diseases.
The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together these novel findings and explore the mechanisms that cause the transcriptional regulation to deviate in disease states from the perspective of chromatin topology, RNAPII regulation and epigenetics. We welcome original articles, methods and reviews/mini-reviews falling under the following topics (but not limited to):
• Abnormal behavior of RNAPII in cellular models of cancer.
• Novel regulators of transcription.
• Gene expression and chromosome accessibility in single cells.
• Coordination of transcription with other processes (replication, DNA damage response, splicing).
• Chromatin dynamics in diseases.
• Oncoproteins in the regulation of the transcriptional cycle.
• lncRNA in deregulation of transcription in diseases.
