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Cajal body function in genome organization and transcriptome diversity
Author(s) -
Sawyer Iain A.,
Sturgill David,
Sung MyongHee,
Hager Gordon L.,
Dundr Miroslav
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201600144
Subject(s) - cajal body , small nuclear rna , spliceosome , biology , snrnp , rna splicing , gene , genome , genetics , alternative splicing , microbiology and biotechnology , transcriptome , chromatin , precursor mrna , transcription (linguistics) , rna , computational biology , gene expression , messenger rna , non coding rna , linguistics , philosophy
Nuclear bodies contribute to non‐random organization of the human genome and nuclear function. Using a major prototypical nuclear body, the Cajal body, as an example, we suggest that these structures assemble at specific gene loci located across the genome as a result of high transcriptional activity. Subsequently, target genes are physically clustered in close proximity in Cajal body‐containing cells. However, Cajal bodies are observed in only a limited number of human cell types, including neuronal and cancer cells. Ultimately, Cajal body depletion perturbs splicing kinetics by reducing target small nuclear RNA (snRNA) transcription and limiting the levels of spliceosomal snRNPs, including their modification and turnover following each round of RNA splicing. As such, Cajal bodies are capable of shaping the chromatin interaction landscape and the transcriptome by influencing spliceosome kinetics. Future studies should concentrate on characterizing the direct influence of Cajal bodies upon snRNA gene transcriptional dynamics. Also see the video abstract here .