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Transcription start site choice diversifies mRNA isoforms and defines cancer cell behavior

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We describe how transcription start site (TSS) choice of thousands of genes results in transcript isoforms with potential for distinct post-transcriptional regulation affecting translation and cell behavior. We show that dynamic switching between initiation sites defines cancer proliferation, differentiation and treatment response, indicating start site determination as a potential diagnostic tool.

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Fig. 1: Diagram summarizing the regulation of variation in TSS use in irradiated CRC organoids and its effect on cancer cell survival.

References

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This is a summary of: Wragg, J. W. et al. Intra-promoter switch of transcription initiation sites in proliferation signaling-dependent RNA metabolism. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-023-01156-8 (2023).

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Transcription start site choice diversifies mRNA isoforms and defines cancer cell behavior. Nat Struct Mol Biol 30, 1840–1841 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-023-01157-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-023-01157-7

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