Effects of Transcription Blocking Drug on mRNA Processing Factors (2020)

Frederick B. Kilmer Research Award 2nd Place (Sciences)

The process of transcription creates messenger RNA (mRNA) from a DNA template. Following transcription, mRNA processing is required to create mature mRNA that can be translated to protein. UV–induced DNA damage slows down transcription by stalling RNAPII, the enzyme that produces mRNA. UV damage also results in reduced levels of mRNA processing and mRNA processing factor proteins. We are studying whether the observed effect on mRNA processing is due to DNA damage or RNAPII stalling. To test whether reduced levels of mRNA processing factors observed after UV-induced DNA damage results from DNA damage or simply RNAPII stalling, we treated yeast cells with 6-Azauracil (6-AU), which stalls RNAPII in the absence of DNA damage, and analyzed mRNA processing factor levels using western blotting. Our results show no reduced levels of mRNA processing factors following 6-AU treatment, suggesting that DNA damage accounts for the observed inhibition of mRNA processing and lower levels of processing factors.