Transcriptional Bursts in a Nonequilibrium Model for Gene Regulation by Supercoiling
Overview
Affiliations
We analyze transcriptional bursting within a stochastic nonequilibrium model, which accounts for the coupling between the dynamics of DNA supercoiling and gene transcription. We find a clear signature of bursty transcription when there is a separation between the timescales of transcription initiation and supercoiling dissipation (the latter may either be diffusive or mediated by topological enzymes, such as type I or type II topoisomerases). In multigenic DNA domains, we observe either bursty transcription or transcription waves; the type of behavior can be selected for by controlling gene activity and orientation. In the bursty phase, the statistics of supercoiling fluctuations at the promoter are markedly non-Gaussian.
Gene syntax defines supercoiling-mediated transcriptional feedback.
Johnstone C, Love K, Kabaria S, Jones R, Jones R, Blanch-Asensio A bioRxiv. 2025; .
PMID: 39868195 PMC: 11760390. DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.19.633652.
DNA supercoiling modulates eukaryotic transcription in a gene-orientation dependent manner.
Morao A, Chervova A, Zhao Y, Ercan S, Cecere G bioRxiv. 2025; .
PMID: 39803503 PMC: 11722375. DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.03.631213.
A genetic circuit on a single DNA molecule as an autonomous dissipative nanodevice.
Greiss F, Lardon N, Schutz L, Barak Y, Daube S, Weinhold E Nat Commun. 2024; 15(1):883.
PMID: 38287055 PMC: 10825189. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45186-2.
Junier I, Ghobadpour E, Espeli O, Everaers R Front Microbiol. 2023; 14:1192831.
PMID: 37965550 PMC: 10642903. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1192831.
DNA supercoiling restricts the transcriptional bursting of neighboring eukaryotic genes.
Patel H, Coppola S, Pomp W, Aiello U, Brouwer I, Libri D Mol Cell. 2023; 83(10):1573-1587.e8.
PMID: 37207624 PMC: 10205079. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.04.015.