Chromatin based modeling of transcription rates identifies the contribution of different regulatory layers to steady-state mRNA levels

Messenger RNA levels in eukaryotes are balanced by two consecutive regulatory layers. Primary, transcriptional regulation at the level of chromatin and secondary, post-transcriptional regulation of the initial transcript in the cytoplasm. Each layer is individually studied in mechanistic detail, while integration of both processes is required to quantify the individual contribution to steady-state RNA levels. Here we show that chromatin features are sufficient to model transcription rate but with different sensitivities in dividing versus post mitotic cells. In both cases chromatin derived transcript levels explains over 80% of variance in measured RNA level enabling to separate transcription from different post-transcriptional processes. By further inclusion of measurements of mRNA half-life and micro RNA expression data we identify a low quantitative contribution of RNA decay by either micro RNA or general differential turnover to final mRNA levels. Together this establishes a chromatin based quantitative model for the contribution of transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes to steady-state levels of messenger RNA.

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Tippmann SC, Ivanek R, Gaidatzis D, Schöler A, Hoerner L, van Nimwegen E, Stadler PF, Stadler MB, Schübeler D