Abstract
RNA activation (RNAa) is an uncharacterized mechanism of transcriptional activation mediated by small RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs). A critical issue in RNAa research is that it is difficult to distinguish between changes in gene expression caused indirectly by post-transcriptional regulation and direct induction of gene expression by RNAa. Therefore, in this study, we seek to identify a key factor involved in RNAa, using the induction of ZMYND10 by miR-34a as a system to evaluate RNAa. We identify the positive transcription elongation factors CDK9 and DDX21, which form a complex with nuclear AGO and TNRC6A, as important transcriptional activators of RNAa. In addition, we find that inhibition of DDX21 suppresses RNAa by miR-34a and other miRNAs without inhibiting post-transcriptional regulation. Our findings reveal a strong connection between RNAa and release of paused Pol II, facilitating RNAa research by making it possible to separately analyze post-transcriptional regulation and RNAa.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 110673 |
Journal | Cell reports |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 12 2022 |
Keywords
- CDK9
- CP: Molecular biology
- DDX21
- RNA activation
- ZMYND10
- divergent transcription
- miR-34
- microRNA
- promoter-associated noncoding RNA
- small activating RNA
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)