Discovery of a new biomarker (RNAPII) in cancer that denotes aggressiveness, increased risk of recurrence, shown in breast cancer and meningioma (<-Figure) @science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 14, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Discovery of a new biomarker (RNAPII) in cancer that denotes aggressiveness, increased risk of recurrence, shown in breast cancer and meningioma (<-Figure) @science.org
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thrilled to see my postdoc work at Adelman Lab @hms-bcmp.bsky.social on Integrator(INT) now out @cp-cell.bsky.social. We found that INT deficiency allows immature+unlicensed RNAPII to precociously enter genes. This immature RNAPII can transcribe short genes but terminates prematurely in long genes:
April 14, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Thrilled to see my postdoc work at Adelman Lab @hms-bcmp.bsky.social on Integrator(INT) now out @cp-cell.bsky.social. We found that INT deficiency allows immature+unlicensed RNAPII to precociously enter genes. This immature RNAPII can transcribe short genes but terminates prematurely in long genes:
Now online! Integrator loss leads to dsRNA formation that triggers the integrated stress response
Integrator loss leads to dsRNA formation that triggers the integrated stress response
Integrator (INT) prevents the escape of immature RNAPII to ensure full-length mRNA production. INT deficiency causes defects in RNAPII maturation that lead to premature termination, accumulation of immunogenic dsRNA, and activation of the integrated stress response (ISR) observed in patient cells.
dlvr.it
April 14, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Now online! Integrator loss leads to dsRNA formation that triggers the integrated stress response
@mukherja.bsky.social work on RNAPII clusters is in print today: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats!
TLDR: RNAPII clusters represent transcriptonally engaged molecules at single genes, not super-stochiometric assemblies.
Please check it out and see the the thread below for a summary.
Congrats!
TLDR: RNAPII clusters represent transcriptonally engaged molecules at single genes, not super-stochiometric assemblies.
Please check it out and see the the thread below for a summary.
March 20, 2026 at 10:49 AM
@mukherja.bsky.social work on RNAPII clusters is in print today: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats!
TLDR: RNAPII clusters represent transcriptonally engaged molecules at single genes, not super-stochiometric assemblies.
Please check it out and see the the thread below for a summary.
Congrats!
TLDR: RNAPII clusters represent transcriptonally engaged molecules at single genes, not super-stochiometric assemblies.
Please check it out and see the the thread below for a summary.
It is my pleasure to share with you the latest from @jsvejstrup.bsky.social lab, where we look at how the reduction of RNAPII levels has a severe, yet organized transcriptional response in the cell.
September 19, 2025 at 9:15 AM
It is my pleasure to share with you the latest from @jsvejstrup.bsky.social lab, where we look at how the reduction of RNAPII levels has a severe, yet organized transcriptional response in the cell.
"RNAPII clusters reflect local accumulations of transcriptionally engaged polymerases and do not form through higher-order mechanisms such as phase separation"
😬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
by the @mirlab.bsky.social
😬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
by the @mirlab.bsky.social
A single cluster of RNA Polymerase II molecules is stably associated with active genes
In eukaryotic nuclei, transcription is associated with the clustering of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) molecules. The mechanisms underlying cluster formation, their interactions with genes, and their imp...
www.biorxiv.org
January 15, 2026 at 9:50 AM
"RNAPII clusters reflect local accumulations of transcriptionally engaged polymerases and do not form through higher-order mechanisms such as phase separation"
😬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
by the @mirlab.bsky.social
😬
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
by the @mirlab.bsky.social
Excited to share our new Nature study! 🧬
We (sidrituruci.bsky.social et al) discovered that CFAP20 helps clear stalled RNAPII, preventing harmful clashes with DNA replication machinery. This protects cells from R-loops and genome instability.
Full paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We (sidrituruci.bsky.social et al) discovered that CFAP20 helps clear stalled RNAPII, preventing harmful clashes with DNA replication machinery. This protects cells from R-loops and genome instability.
Full paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 15, 2026 at 7:45 AM
Excited to share our new Nature study! 🧬
We (sidrituruci.bsky.social et al) discovered that CFAP20 helps clear stalled RNAPII, preventing harmful clashes with DNA replication machinery. This protects cells from R-loops and genome instability.
Full paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We (sidrituruci.bsky.social et al) discovered that CFAP20 helps clear stalled RNAPII, preventing harmful clashes with DNA replication machinery. This protects cells from R-loops and genome instability.
Full paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Happy to share our new paper with Goran Kokic and the Svejstrup lab in Cell!
We show that STK19 facilitates the clearance of lesion-stalled RNAPII during transcription-coupled DNA repair.
Great teamwork by Diana, Marta and Paula!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
We show that STK19 facilitates the clearance of lesion-stalled RNAPII during transcription-coupled DNA repair.
Great teamwork by Diana, Marta and Paula!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
November 16, 2024 at 2:06 PM
Happy to share our new paper with Goran Kokic and the Svejstrup lab in Cell!
We show that STK19 facilitates the clearance of lesion-stalled RNAPII during transcription-coupled DNA repair.
Great teamwork by Diana, Marta and Paula!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
We show that STK19 facilitates the clearance of lesion-stalled RNAPII during transcription-coupled DNA repair.
Great teamwork by Diana, Marta and Paula!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs RNA polymerase II activity in the nucleus to support RNA homeostasis
TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs RNA polymerase II activity in the nucleus to support RNA homeostasis
The TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs the enzymatic activity of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), as changes in their interaction alter the global production of RNAPII-associated RNA. The balance between TRiC/CCT binding classic protein substrates and RNAPII contributes to RNA homeostasis.
dlvr.it
September 21, 2026 at 10:57 PM
TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs RNA polymerase II activity in the nucleus to support RNA homeostasis
Extremely proud to share the impressive work done by Anouk Olthof et al. on how cells maintain healthy levels of RNAPII, and how they respond when levels are too low. Fascinating stuff, we think www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Systems-level feedback loops maintain gene expression homeostasis following RNA polymerase II dosage perturbation
Transcription is regulated by sequence-specific transcription factors and enzymes allowing access to genes in chromatin. However, recent data indicate that the abundance of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) ...
www.biorxiv.org
September 19, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Extremely proud to share the impressive work done by Anouk Olthof et al. on how cells maintain healthy levels of RNAPII, and how they respond when levels are too low. Fascinating stuff, we think www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Our new paper is finally out! 📢
Great team effort from Sara M, @joanasgrmrtnz.bsky.social and @agalleg.bsky.social with the support from everyone in the lab.
Many thanks to our collaborators, @andreichabes.bsky.social , @mmaslon.bsky.social and @lschermelleh.bsky.social
Great team effort from Sara M, @joanasgrmrtnz.bsky.social and @agalleg.bsky.social with the support from everyone in the lab.
Many thanks to our collaborators, @andreichabes.bsky.social , @mmaslon.bsky.social and @lschermelleh.bsky.social
Slow RNAPII elongation enhances naive pluripotency rewiring while maintaining high replication fork speed
Slowing RNAPII velocity boosts naive pluripotency, uncovering an unexpected link to cell plasticity.
www.science.org
April 24, 2026 at 7:19 PM
Our new paper is finally out! 📢
Great team effort from Sara M, @joanasgrmrtnz.bsky.social and @agalleg.bsky.social with the support from everyone in the lab.
Many thanks to our collaborators, @andreichabes.bsky.social , @mmaslon.bsky.social and @lschermelleh.bsky.social
Great team effort from Sara M, @joanasgrmrtnz.bsky.social and @agalleg.bsky.social with the support from everyone in the lab.
Many thanks to our collaborators, @andreichabes.bsky.social , @mmaslon.bsky.social and @lschermelleh.bsky.social
At this END of YEAR please check out our new paper on GENE ENDS and a convenient marker of transcription termination: RNAPII CTD T4ph! We think it is relevant to anyone studying human/animal #genes and #genome so put a lot of effort to make it easy to read. #RNABiology and #Epigenetics meet:)
Do you know where transcription of a gene actually stops? Hint: it is not the annotated gene end.
In our new paper in Nucleic Acids Research we argue that phosphorylation on threonine 4 of RNA Pol II CTD is a marker of transcription termination in animals... 🧵
academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
In our new paper in Nucleic Acids Research we argue that phosphorylation on threonine 4 of RNA Pol II CTD is a marker of transcription termination in animals... 🧵
academic.oup.com/nar/advance-...
December 27, 2024 at 4:55 PM
At this END of YEAR please check out our new paper on GENE ENDS and a convenient marker of transcription termination: RNAPII CTD T4ph! We think it is relevant to anyone studying human/animal #genes and #genome so put a lot of effort to make it easy to read. #RNABiology and #Epigenetics meet:)
Integrator loss leads to dsRNA formation that triggers the integrated stress response: Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Integrator loss leads to dsRNA formation that triggers the integrated stress response
Integrator (INT) prevents the escape of immature RNAPII to ensure full-length mRNA
production. INT deficiency causes defects in RNAPII maturation that lead to premature
termination, accumulation of im...
www.cell.com
April 14, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Integrator loss leads to dsRNA formation that triggers the integrated stress response: Cell www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
(1/3) Excited to post our updated pre-print! We show RNAPII clusters are simply collections of polymerase molecules stably engaged at single genes & cluster intensity is strongly correlated with txn output during Drosophila embryogenesis. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 18, 2025 at 3:15 PM
(1/3) Excited to post our updated pre-print! We show RNAPII clusters are simply collections of polymerase molecules stably engaged at single genes & cluster intensity is strongly correlated with txn output during Drosophila embryogenesis. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription through re-initiation and bursting
Regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription through re-initiation and bursting
Although basic mechanisms of de novo RNAPII initiation are well studied, how additional RNAPII enzymes rapidly re-initiate from the same promoter, a process called bursting, remains poorly understood. Here, Nagel and Taatjes describe the factors and mechanisms that regulate RNAPII bursting, focusing on molecular mechanisms, biological relevance, and open questions.
dlvr.it
May 19, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription through re-initiation and bursting
For our latest paper, we worked with SYROS Pharmaceuticals, the groups of Dylan Taatjes and Robin Dowell at CU Boulder, and @abhaykot.bsky.social. Junjie Feng in my lab determined the #cryoEM structure of the CDK7 inhibitor SY5609 bound to its target...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
TFIIH kinase CDK7 drives cell proliferation through a common core transcription factor network
CDK7 kinase activity is found to control RNAPII transcription through a cohort of TFs that drive cell cycle and proliferation.
www.science.org
February 28, 2025 at 9:40 PM
For our latest paper, we worked with SYROS Pharmaceuticals, the groups of Dylan Taatjes and Robin Dowell at CU Boulder, and @abhaykot.bsky.social. Junjie Feng in my lab determined the #cryoEM structure of the CDK7 inhibitor SY5609 bound to its target...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
New from @adelmanlab.bsky.social .
Once again showing that intronic RNA in the cytoplasm can be bad news....
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
Once again showing that intronic RNA in the cytoplasm can be bad news....
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
Integrator loss leads to dsRNA formation that triggers the integrated stress response
Integrator (INT) prevents the escape of immature RNAPII to ensure full-length mRNA
production. INT deficiency causes defects in RNAPII maturation that lead to premature
termination, accumulation of im...
www.cell.com
April 15, 2025 at 2:58 PM
New from @adelmanlab.bsky.social .
Once again showing that intronic RNA in the cytoplasm can be bad news....
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
Once again showing that intronic RNA in the cytoplasm can be bad news....
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
Nature research paper: CFAP20 salvages arrested RNAPII from the path of co-directional replisomes
go.nature.com/49kYQJq
go.nature.com/49kYQJq
CFAP20 salvages arrested RNAPII from the path of co-directional replisomes - Nature
CFAP20 has a key role in rescuing RNA polymerase II complexes that have arrested during DNA transcription, limiting the accumulation of R-loops and preventing collisions between the transcription and replication machinery.
go.nature.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Nature research paper: CFAP20 salvages arrested RNAPII from the path of co-directional replisomes
go.nature.com/49kYQJq
go.nature.com/49kYQJq
Nice work by the Kurumizaka Lab in @natcomms.nature.com
Multiple structures of RNA polymerase II isolated from human nuclei by ChIP-CryoEM analysis
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Multiple structures of RNA polymerase II isolated from human nuclei by ChIP-CryoEM analysis
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Multiple structures of RNA polymerase II isolated from human nuclei by ChIP-CryoEM analysis - Nature Communications
The authors establish the ChIP-CryoEM method, which combines chromatin immunopurification coupled with cryo-electron microscopy, to visualize native human RNAPII elongation complexes in action, with a...
www.nature.com
May 29, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Nice work by the Kurumizaka Lab in @natcomms.nature.com
Multiple structures of RNA polymerase II isolated from human nuclei by ChIP-CryoEM analysis
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Multiple structures of RNA polymerase II isolated from human nuclei by ChIP-CryoEM analysis
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
🪴🧬 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 🌡️⚙️
The role of RNA polymerase II transcript elongation factors in plant stress responses - Klaus D. Grasser
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪
The role of RNA polymerase II transcript elongation factors in plant stress responses - Klaus D. Grasser
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪
June 30, 2025 at 11:04 AM
🪴🧬 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 🌡️⚙️
The role of RNA polymerase II transcript elongation factors in plant stress responses - Klaus D. Grasser
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪
The role of RNA polymerase II transcript elongation factors in plant stress responses - Klaus D. Grasser
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪
Tonight, for no particular reason, and for the first time in 10 or 15 years, I started reading reviews on transcriptional regulation. It's so great to see both what has & hasn't changed in that field.
In particular, both the progress and lack thereof on RNAPII/eRNA at enhancers is amazing.
In particular, both the progress and lack thereof on RNAPII/eRNA at enhancers is amazing.
March 20, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Tonight, for no particular reason, and for the first time in 10 or 15 years, I started reading reviews on transcriptional regulation. It's so great to see both what has & hasn't changed in that field.
In particular, both the progress and lack thereof on RNAPII/eRNA at enhancers is amazing.
In particular, both the progress and lack thereof on RNAPII/eRNA at enhancers is amazing.
Structural Dynamics of RNA Polymerase II During Nucleotide Addition Cycle (NAC)
"Here we present 43 #cryoEM structures capturing distinct stages of the S. cerevisiae RNAPII elongation complex NAC, including previously intractable transition intermediates."
😱
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
"Here we present 43 #cryoEM structures capturing distinct stages of the S. cerevisiae RNAPII elongation complex NAC, including previously intractable transition intermediates."
😱
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Structural Dynamics of RNA Polymerase II During Nucleotide Addition Cycle
RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) drives gene expression through iterative nucleotide addition cycles (NACs) comprising translocation, substrate binding, and catalysis. The lack of pre-catalysis and post-cat...
www.biorxiv.org
July 8, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Structural Dynamics of RNA Polymerase II During Nucleotide Addition Cycle (NAC)
"Here we present 43 #cryoEM structures capturing distinct stages of the S. cerevisiae RNAPII elongation complex NAC, including previously intractable transition intermediates."
😱
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
"Here we present 43 #cryoEM structures capturing distinct stages of the S. cerevisiae RNAPII elongation complex NAC, including previously intractable transition intermediates."
😱
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Online Now: TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs RNA polymerase II activity in the nucleus to support RNA homeostasis Online now:
TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs RNA polymerase II activity in the nucleus to support RNA homeostasis
The TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs the enzymatic activity of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), as changes in their interaction alter the global production of RNAPII-associated RNA. The balance between TRiC/CCT binding classic protein substrates and RNAPII contributes to RNA homeostasis.
dlvr.it
September 9, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Online Now: TRiC/CCT chaperonin governs RNA polymerase II activity in the nucleus to support RNA homeostasis Online now:
What happens to transcription upon oxidative DNA damage? 🧬💥
RNAPII halts instantly within genes ⛔️ and even more surprisingly: It restarts from where it stopped without leaving the DNA template 🚦
👀📄 How does this happen? Find out in our new preprint👇 www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
RNAPII halts instantly within genes ⛔️ and even more surprisingly: It restarts from where it stopped without leaving the DNA template 🚦
👀📄 How does this happen? Find out in our new preprint👇 www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
Oxidative stress triggers RNAPII arrest through PARylation and DNA damage
UV or gamma irradiation, as well as certain chemicals, generate DNA damage that disrupts transcription through a variety of well-characterised mechanisms. In contrast, the transcriptional response to ...
www.biorxiv.org
November 7, 2025 at 12:13 PM
What happens to transcription upon oxidative DNA damage? 🧬💥
RNAPII halts instantly within genes ⛔️ and even more surprisingly: It restarts from where it stopped without leaving the DNA template 🚦
👀📄 How does this happen? Find out in our new preprint👇 www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
RNAPII halts instantly within genes ⛔️ and even more surprisingly: It restarts from where it stopped without leaving the DNA template 🚦
👀📄 How does this happen? Find out in our new preprint👇 www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...
Excited that our work on RNAPII clusters during development is finally in print today! Thanks to everyone who worked incredibly hard on this project and the community for their engaging (and fun!) discussion during each iteration. Please see the post below for details!
@mukherja.bsky.social work on RNAPII clusters is in print today: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats!
TLDR: RNAPII clusters represent transcriptonally engaged molecules at single genes, not super-stochiometric assemblies.
Please check it out and see the the thread below for a summary.
Congrats!
TLDR: RNAPII clusters represent transcriptonally engaged molecules at single genes, not super-stochiometric assemblies.
Please check it out and see the the thread below for a summary.
March 20, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Excited that our work on RNAPII clusters during development is finally in print today! Thanks to everyone who worked incredibly hard on this project and the community for their engaging (and fun!) discussion during each iteration. Please see the post below for details!