The Stowers Institute's Shilatifard Lab has identified a new
role for the elongation factor ELL in gene transcription by RNA
polymerase II (Pol II) — the enzyme that synthesizes messenger
RNA to carry genetic information from DNA to the protein-
synthesizing machinery of the cell. Precise control of the
timing and location of transcript elongation by Pol II is
essential for development. In a paper published online in the
Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences (PNAS), the team found that ELL plays a fundamental
role in the regulation of gene expression by causing temporary
interruptions of the action of Pol II in the fruit fly
(Drosophila melanogaster). "Biological mechanisms such as the
'pausing' of Pol II at nearby promoters have been found at many
regulated genes," explained Ali Shilatifard, Ph.D.,
Investigator. "In this study, we wanted to determine whether the
elongation factor ELL is required for the regulation of the
temporary interruptions of Pol II transcription in a livin