7SK RNA

7SK was discovered as an abundant small nuclear RNA in the mid-70s but a possible function has only recently been suggested.cite journal | last = Blencowe | first = BJ | year = 2002 | title = Transcription: surprising role for an elusive small nuclear RNA | journal = Curr Biol | volume = 12 | pages = R147–149 | pmid = 11864590 | doi = 10.1016/S0960-9822(02)00711-X] Two independent studies have found that 7SK RNA binds the CDK9/cyclin T complex (known as elongation factor P-TEFb). P-TEFb activates transcription by phosphorylating the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. This process is negatively regulated by the 7SK RNP. The secondary structure of 7SK RNA shown here was proposed by Wasserman and Steitz on the basis of chemical modification and enzymatic cleavage experiments.cite journal | last = Wassarman | first = DA | coauthors = Steitz JA | year = 1991 | title = Structural analyses of the 7SK ribonucleoprotein (RNP), the most abundant human small RNP of unknown function | journal = Mol Cell Biol | volume = 11 | pages = 3432–3445 | pmid = 1646389] This family contains a number of pseudogenes and 7SK derived repeats.

References

External links

*

* [http://www.flintbox.com/technology.asp?Page=2941 A novel methyltransferase : the 7SK snRNA Methylphosphate Capping Enzyme] as seen on Flintbox