Connecting transcription with chromatin and RNA processing

Our lab continues to study the exchange of factors as RNA polymerase II transitions through pre-initiation, early elongation, late elongation, and termination complexes. We are particularly interested in how these exchanges are mediated by the changing phosphorylation pattern of the Rpb1 C-terminal domain (CTD). Complementing our earlier molecular and genetic studies, we have developed mass spectrometry techniques to directly analyze the factors associated with polymerase at various stages of transcription. Recently, we have also been characterizing the effects of ncRNA transcription on nearby gene expression. Results from these efforts will be presented in the context of a model for the transcription cycle and its associated mRNA and histone modifications.