Perichromatin fibrils as early markers of transcriptional alterations.

Marco Biggiogera, Barbara Cisterna, Alessandro Spedito, Lorella Vecchio, Manuela Malatesta

Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Laboratorio di Biologia Cellulare e Neurobiologia, University of Pavia, and Istituto di Genetica Molecolare del C.N.R., Piazza botta 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy. marcobig@unipv.it

Differentiation; research in biological diversity 2008 Jan

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Perichromatin fibrils represent the morphological expression of transcription and co-transcriptional processing of pre-mRNA. They can be considered, hence, an example of work in progress. High resolution techniques such as electron microscopy demonstrate that perichromatin fibrils play a role as early markers of transcriptional alterations. In this paper, we review some experimental and physiological conditions impairing or modulating transcription as well as their effects on perichromatin fibrils. In all the situations reported, perichromatin fibrils show modifications in their amount and/or their associated proteins. Their movements are also affected, as well as their export or their intra-nuclear storage forms. Perichromatin fibrils therefore represent highly sensitive markers not only for monitoring transcriptional and processing rate but also for identifying the maturation level of pre-mRNA/mRNA occurring in the cell nucleus and the functional correlation with the cellular metabolic state.

Citation

Marco Biggiogera, Barbara Cisterna, Alessandro Spedito, Lorella Vecchio, Manuela Malatesta. Perichromatin fibrils as early markers of transcriptional alterations. Differentiation; research in biological diversity. 2008 Jan;76(1):57-65