Submitted on August 7, 2008 and accepted for presentation at the 48th Annual Meeting of The American Society for Cell Biology, December 13-17, 2008, in San Francisco, California USA.

"Models of successive levels of resolution during individul gene transcription".

John H. Frenster 1, and Jeannette A. Hovsepian 2,

Divisions of  1 Medical Oncology, and of  2 Diagnostic Imaging,
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Phone: 650/367-6483, e-mail:  frensterjh@aol.comhovsepianj@aol.com , http://www.euchromatin.net/

Supported in part by a USPHS Research Career Development Award (CA-17857) from the National Cancer Institute.




Abstract:

Network simulation studies require integration of gene activity at several levels.

Recent and on-going studies have revealed three levels of resolution showing pervasive interleaved transcription (Gingeras TR, "Mapping the strand-specific transcriptome of fission yeast", Nature Genetics 40: 935 (August, 2008). These studies have included the levels of multiple gene clusters, of overlapping primary transcripts, and of individual gene loci (ibid.).

Newer studies have suggested a deeper level of resolution distinguishing transcription on one DNA strand from that on the opposing DNA strand within a single gene locus (Dutrow N, et al., "Dynamic transcriptome of S. pombe shown by RNA-DNA hybrid mapping", Nature Genetics 40: 977 (August, 2008). The products of such transcription include both coding and non-coding RNAs, sense and antisense orientations, and single and paired duplexes.

Among the latter, the increasing importance of RNA-DNA and RNA-RNA duplexes during regulation of gene transcription is being recognized as crucial to gene selectivity and gene specificity. The recent studies of RNA-RNA  interactions within promoter sites and enhancer sites of the same gene product exemplifies such research (Schwartz JC, et al., "Antisense transcripts are targets for activating small RNAs", Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 15: 842 (August, 2008), as does the study of individual genes on one chromosome and throughout the euchromatin of one cell (Mikkelsen TJ, et al., "Dissecting direct reprogramming through integrative genomic analysis", Nature 454: 49 (July 3. 2008).

A preliminary network simulation of these data for several linked genes reveals driving forces from initiation levels which determine kinetics thoughout the particular gene network.

These diverse data  re-assert the need and importance of high-resolution isolation techniques and comprehensive composite structures in analyzing network interactions within intact living cells.
 




Hub models of resolution levels during gene transcription.
 

Level of Resolution               Transcription System              Biological Effects
 

1.  DNase I probes                    Active gene clusters               Location, size, number

2.  FISH RNA probes                Single gene locus                    Location, dynamics

3.  10 nm micro-fibril                 Isolated euchromatin                Native state loci

4.  20 nm paired fibrils               Isolated euchromatin                Interacting loci

5.  DNA-DNA tetraplex             Kissing chromosomes              Interacting DNAs

6.   RNA enhancer                      Transcript selection                  Phenotype

7.   RNA promoter                      Transcript initiation                  Plasticity

8.   DNA anticoding strand         Activator receptor                    Ultimate receptor

9.   DNA coding strand               RNA Pol II receptor                 First template

10.  DNA-RNA hybrid                Transcript product                    First product

11.  RNA Pol II velocity              Ripple activations                    Group effect

12.  RNA RefSeq assays              Whole genome                        Single gene

13.  RNA 5’ ends                          Transcript product                   Single transcript

14.  RNA Re-programming           Transcript product                  Therapeutic agent

15.  Embryonic RNA                     Whole genome                         Ultimate oncogene

16.  EMT, MET RNA                    Whole genome                        Metastatic oncogene

17.  RNA selection window           Whole cell                                 Molecular evolution

18.  RNA selection linkage             Multi-gene networks              Cellular evolution

www.euchromatin.net/Frenster30.htm




Additional References:

1. Frenster JH, and Hovsepian JA, "Models of  Embryonic RNA Initiating and Reverting Adult Neoplasms". Section 6 (Cancer Genetics) of the XX International Congress of Genetics, "Understanding Living Systems", Berlin, Germany, July 12-17, 2008.

2. Schwartz JC, Younger ST, Nguyen N-B, Hardy DB, Monia BP, Corey DR, and Janowski BA,
"Antisense transcripts are targets for activating small RNAs".

3. Frenster JH, and Hovsepian JA,  “Models of Embryonic Gene-Induced Initiation and Reversion of Adult Neoplasms”.

4. Ogawa Y, Sun BK, and Lee JT,
"Intersection of the RNA Interference and X-Inactivation Pathways".

5. Place RF, Li L-C, Pookot D, Noonan EJ, and Dahiya R, "MicroRNA-373 induces expression of genes with complementary promoter sequences".

6. Borel C, Gagnebin M, Gehrig C, Kriventseva EV, Zdobnov EM, and Antonarakis SE,
"Mapping of Small RNAs in the Human ENCODE Regions".

7. Zhu X, Ling J, Zhang L, Pi W, Wu M, and Tuan D, "A facilitated tracking and transcription mechanism of long-range enhancer function".

8. Frenster JH, and Hovsepian JA, "DNase-I Ultrastructural Probe Sites and Kissing Chromosomes".

9. Han J, Kim D, and Morris KV, "Promoter-associated RNA is required for RNA-directed transcriptional gene silencing in human cells".

10. Murray JI, Bao Z, Boyle TJ, Boeck ME, Mericle BL, Nicholas TJ, Zhao Z, Sandel MJ, and Waterston RH,
"Automated analysis of embryonic gene expression with cellular resolution in C. elegans",
Nature Methods - vol. 5; no. 8, pp. 703 - 709 (August, 2008)
http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v5/n8/abs/nmeth.1228.html.

11. Meisner LF,  and Frenster JH,
"In Vivo Evolution within Radiation-Induced Clones of Human Lymphocytes".

12. Prabhakar S, Visel A,  Akiyama JA, Shoukry M, Lewis KD, Holt A, Plajzer-Frick I, Morrison H, FitzPatrick DR, Afzal V, Pennacchio LA, Rubin EM, and Noonan JP,
"Human-Specific Gain of Function in a Developmental Enhancer".
 




Further Topics in:  Euchromatin,  active DNA, and  RNA  ribo-regulators:

Links to Euchromatin Activator RNA Reviews:
Links to Euchromatin Activator RNA Research:
Links to Ultrastructural Probes of DNase I-Sensitive Sites:
Links to RNA as a Therapeutic Agent:
Links to Hodgkin Lymphoma Immuno-Pathology:
Links to Activated T-Lymphocyte Immunotherapy:
Links to Medical Systems Biology:
Links to Selective Gene Transcription:
Links to RNA-Induced Epigenetics:
Links to RNA-Induced Embryogenesis:
Links to RNA and Biological Causality:
Links to Reprogramming and Neoplasia:

A Brief History of Activator RNA:

"Ultrastructural Probes of Active DNA Sites, and the RNA Activators of DNA". (PowerPoint Presentation).




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euchromatin: "the most active portion of the genome within the cell nucleus".