RNA polymerase II transcriptional fidelity control and its functional interplay with DNA modifications

Abstract

Accurate genetic information transfer is essential for life. As a key enzyme involved in the first step of gene expression, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) must maintain high transcriptional fidelity while it reads along DNA template and synthesizes RNA transcript in a stepwise manner during transcription elongation. DNA lesions or modifications may lead to significant changes in transcriptional fidelity or transcription elongation dynamics. In this review, we will summarize recent progress toward understanding the molecular basis of RNA Pol II transcriptional fidelity control and impacts of DNA lesions and modifications on Pol II transcription elongation.

• Chemical biology
• computational biology
• DNA damage
• epigenetic DNA modifications
• RNA polymerase II
• structural biology
• transcription fidelity

Declarations of interest

Dong Wang acknowledges the NIH (GM102362), Kimmel Scholars award from the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research, and start-up funds from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSD.