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© The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525/2003/9/959-a $5.00
The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 162, Number 6, 959-a-959

More order in DNA

Highly transcribed DNA regions (green) surround mRNA-processing domains (blue).

On page 981, Shopland et al. identify a new level of nuclear organization that positions highly transcribed DNA and chromosome segments near proteins needed for mRNA maturation.

Splicing factors and other proteins that process newly made transcripts accumulate in nuclear speckles called SC-35 domains. Shopland et al. find that these domains associate with R-bands, which are cytologically visible, gene-rich, and highly transcribed chromosome regions. Transcripts from both linked and unlinked genes were found within a given SC-35 domain. This shared usage indicates that the domains are not simply spots of RNA metabolic factors at an especially active locus, but are rather organized domains that may promote efficient transcript processing. Clustering of genes with numerous individual components of the large transcription and mRNA processing complexes probably hastens complex assembly and thus increases the efficiency of mRNA maturation.

Certain hyperactive genes may be targeted to or nucleate SC-35 domain formation and then promote the association of the neighboring chromosomal region with the domain. The highly transcribed COL1A1 gene was consistently associated with a domain, although sequences within the same R-band also contacted the domain 80% of the time. The organization of DNA to optimize the association of active gene regions with SC-35 domains may be the best explanation yet for the evolutionary origins of R-bands versus gene-poor G-bands.

Nicole LeBrasseur

lebrasn{at}rockefeller.edu

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Clustering of multiple specific genes and gene-rich R-bands around SC-35 domains: evidence for local euchromatic neighborhoods

Lindsay S. Shopland, Carol V. Johnson, Meg Byron, John McNeil, and Jeanne B. Lawrence
J. Cell Biol. 2003 162: 981-990. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This Article Full Text (PDF, 778K) PPT slides of all figures Alert me when this article is cited Services Email this article Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new content in the JCB Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by LeBrasseur, N. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by LeBrasseur, N. Related Collections Related Article Social Bookmarking                            What's this?