A matter of time: Using dynamics and theory to uncover mechanisms of transcriptional bursting. (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lammers, Nicholas C.; Kim, Yang Joon; Zhao, Jiaxi; Garcia, Hernan G.
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in cell biology. Volume 67(2020)
• Page Start: 147
• Page End: 157
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: Live imaging -- Transcriptional bursting -- Gene regulation -- Transcriptional dynamics -- Theoretical models of transcription -- Nonequilibrium models of transcription -- Waiting time distributions; Cells -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Cell Biology -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Cells -- Periodicals; Review Literature -- Periodicals; Cell Biology; Biology; Cells; Review Literature; Cellules -- Périodiques; Cytologie -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 571.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.08.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-0674

Abstract

Abstract: Eukaryotic transcription generally occurs in bursts of activity lasting minutes to hours; however, state-of-the-art measurements have revealed that many of the molecular processes that underlie bursting, such as transcription factor binding to DNA, unfold on timescales of seconds. This temporal disconnect lies at the heart of a broader challenge in physical biology of predicting transcriptional outcomes and cellular decision-making from the dynamics of underlying molecular processes. Here, we review how new dynamical information about the processes underlying transcriptional control can be combined with theoretical models that predict not only averaged transcriptional dynamics, but also their variability, to formulate testable hypotheses about the molecular mechanisms underlying transcriptional bursting and control.