Líffræðifélag Íslands
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2015
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V76
Linda Hrönn Sighvatsdóttir (1), Sigrún Guðjónsdóttir (2), Stefán Sigurðsson (3)
Háskóli Íslands, Lífvísindasetur 5. hæð Læknagarði.
Kynnir / Presenter: Linda Hrönn Sighvatsdóttir, lhs4@hi.is
Tengiliður / Corresponding author: Stefán Sigurðsson (stefsi@hi.is)
Gene expression by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is not exclusively regulated at the initiation step but also during the elongation phase of transcription. Specific transcription factors such as TCEA1 enhance transcription elongation by reactivating paused or stalled RNAPII, allowing transcription to proceed. Gene expression can also be regulated by microRNAs by their binding to the 3‘ untranslated (3´UTR) region of target mRNA. This binding of the microRNA to the 3´UTR of the mRNA results either in downregulation of protein translation or cleavage of the mRNA target. Our studies are aimed at studying the transcription elongation factor TCEA1, in particular its role in reactivating paused RNAPII and the role of microRNA in regulating TCEA1 expression. We will present data that shows that TCEA1 expression is regulated by microRNA. This regulation is seen both when using the luciferase reporter system as well as downregulation of endogenous TCEA1 measured by Western blotting.