Transcription and Epigenetic Regulation

The current chapter reviews basic gene organization beginning with the structure of nucleic acids and the formation of phosphodiester bonds to generate the DNA polymer. The various RNA species encoded by the primary DNA sequence including messenger RNA, transfer, and non-coding RNA are discussed. The epigenetic changes on DNA such as methy lation and the modifications on histones — acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation — are described. Chromatin binding proteins that catalyze and bind to epigenetic modifications are reviewed in the context of their role in development and cancer. The general principles of transcriptional control, that is, major families of transcriptional regulatory proteins and their DNA sites are reviewed. Several gastrointestinal peptides are used to highlight both the common and emerging methods used to study transcriptional control. The steps resulting in RNA processing such as polyadenylation, splicing, and its eventual nuclear export to the cytoplasm is reviewed.