A new mechanism for reading extra-long genes in neurons
Neurons in humans and other mammals express many exceptionally long genes, ranging from more than 100 kbp to more than 2 Mbp, that are important for forming synapses and neural circuits. In general, genetic information is read from DNA into RNA. This process is called transcription. The longer a gene is, the more time it takes to read from beginning to end. In addition, gene expression must be…
A new study published in Cell Chemical Biology reveals a novel mechanism by which neurons read exceptionally long genes accurately and stably. In humans and other mammals, neurons express genes that range from over 100 kilobases to over 2 megabases in length, which are crucial for forming synapses and neural circuits. The transcription of these long genes involves multiple regulatory steps, including transcription, splicing, and chromatin regulation.
Researchers from Ehime University focused on a protein called SFPQ, which binds to RNA and forms long RNA-scaffolded nuclear condensates inside the cell nucleus. These condensates bring together various molecules involved in transcription, splicing, and chromatin regulation, functioning as a shared workspace for these processes.
The study found that when SFPQ condensates could not form, extra-long genes were not read properly to the end, RNA splicing was impaired, and gene expression decreased. The findings provide insight into the physical basis of transcriptional elongation condensates and offer a new perspective on gene regulation through the spatial organization of the nucleus.
Brief written by urgent.news from Phys.org's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
