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Why eukaryotic cells use introns to enhance gene expression: Splicing reduces transcription-associated mutagenesis by inhibiting topoisomerase I cutting activity

Overview of attention for article published in Biology Direct, May 2011
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Title
Why eukaryotic cells use introns to enhance gene expression: Splicing reduces transcription-associated mutagenesis by inhibiting topoisomerase I cutting activity
Published in
Biology Direct, May 2011
DOI 10.1186/1745-6150-6-24
Pubmed ID
Authors

Deng-Ke Niu, Yu-Fei Yang

Abstract

The costs and benefits of spliceosomal introns in eukaryotes have not been established. One recognized effect of intron splicing is its known enhancement of gene expression. However, the mechanism regulating such splicing-mediated expression enhancement has not been defined. Previous studies have shown that intron splicing is a time-consuming process, indicating that splicing may not reduce the time required for transcription and processing of spliced pre-mRNA molecules; rather, it might facilitate the later rounds of transcription. Because the densities of active RNA polymerase II on most genes are less than one molecule per gene, direct interactions between the splicing apparatus and transcriptional complexes (from the later rounds of transcription) are infrequent, and thus unlikely to account for splicing-mediated gene expression enhancement.

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Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 96 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Netherlands 1 1%
Hong Kong 1 1%
Brazil 1 1%
Denmark 1 1%
Spain 1 1%
United States 1 1%
Unknown 90 94%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 23 24%
Student > Bachelor 15 16%
Student > Master 14 15%
Researcher 12 13%
Professor 6 6%
Other 16 17%
Unknown 10 10%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 51 53%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 24 25%
Medicine and Dentistry 2 2%
Engineering 2 2%
Chemistry 2 2%
Other 4 4%
Unknown 11 11%