Each gene in our DNA has a beginning and an end. At specific places called promoters, a complex molecular machinery starts transcribing DNA sequences into mRNA. The start of transcription has been well studied; however, most genes contain multiple possible sites where transcription can end and it had been unclear how the machinery knows when to initiate transcription termination. The group of SFB 1381 PI Valérie Hilgers (B02) showed now that the site of transcription start actually determines where it will end. This phenomenon is well-conserved across species and plays a crucial role in cell identity and functionality.
More information about this study can be found in the press release of the MPI.
The original publication was published in Cell.
Illustration: Carlos Alfonso-Gonzalez and Valérie Hilgers
