Intragenic transcription of a noncoding RNA modulates expression of ASP3 in budding yeast
Abstract
Inter- and intragenic noncoding transcription is widespread in eukaryotic genomes; however, the purpose of these types of transcription is still poorly understood. Here, we show that intragenic sense-oriented transcription within the budding yeast ASP3 coding region regulates a constitutively and immediately accessible promoter for the transcription of full-length ASP3. Expression of this short intragenic transcript is independent of GATA transcription factors, which are essential for the activation of full-length ASP3, and independent of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Furthermore, we found that an intragenic control element is required for the expression of this noncoding RNA (ncRNA). Continuous expression of the short ncRNA maintains a high level of trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) at the ASP3 promoter and makes this region more accessible for RNAPII to transcribe the full-length ASP3. Our results show for the first time that intragenic noncoding transcription promotes gene expression.
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Footnotes
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Reprint requests to: Shu-Chun Teng, Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei 10051, Taiwan; e-mail: shuchunteng{at}ntu.edu.tw; fax: (886) 2-23915293.
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Article published online ahead of print. Article and publication date are at http://www.rnajournal.org/cgi/doi/10.1261/rna.2177410.
- Received March 16, 2010.
- Accepted July 23, 2010.
- Copyright © 2010 RNA Society