Project description
Co-transcriptional pre-mRNA 3’-end processing
RNA transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) undergoes many modifications to become mature mRNA. Among the key steps is the addition of the poly-adenine (poly-A) tail, which involves cleavage of the pre-mRNA from the growing RNA chain and the subsequent polyadenylation by a poly-A polymerase. These events are known as 3’-end processing and are the least understood steps of mRNA biogenesis. The EU-funded POL2-TERM project will investigate the transcription and the 3’-end processing to understand how poly-A tails are added onto pre-mRNA during Pol II transcription. The goal of the project is to define the mechanistic basis for the essential step in mRNA biogenesis and to understand human diseases that result from aberrations in RNA synthesis and processing.