Issue 38, 2021

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional bursting

Abstract

In recent years, it has been experimentally established that transcription, a fundamental biological process that involves the synthesis of messenger RNA molecules from DNA templates, does not proceed continuously as was expected. Rather, it exhibits a distinct dynamic behavior of alternating between productive phases when RNA molecules are actively synthesized and inactive phases when there is no RNA production at all. The bimodal transcriptional dynamics is now confirmed to be present in most living systems. This phenomenon is known as transcriptional bursting and it attracts significant amounts of attention from researchers in different fields. However, despite multiple experimental and theoretical investigations, the microscopic origin and biological functions of the transcriptional bursting remain unclear. Here we discuss the recent developments in uncovering the underlying molecular mechanisms of transcriptional bursting and our current understanding of them. Our analysis presents a physicochemical view of the processes that govern transcriptional bursting in living cells.

Graphical abstract: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional bursting

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
09 ⵖⵓⵛ 2021
Accepted
13 ⵛⵓⵜ 2021
First published
16 ⵛⵓⵜ 2021

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021,23, 21399-21406

Author version available

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional bursting

A. Klindziuk and A. B. Kolomeisky, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 21399 DOI: 10.1039/D1CP03665C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements