A functional analysis of the RNA polymerase II large subunit carboxy-terminal domain [Elektronische Ressource] / Rob Chapman

A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE RNA POLYMERASE IILARGE SUBUNIT CARBOXY-TERMINAL DOMAINA Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Natural SciencesAt the Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenRob ChapmanthMünchen, 30 October 2002Completed at the GSF Research Centre for Environment and Health GmBHInstitute for Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumour Genetics, MünchenFirst Examiner: Prof. Dr. Dirk EickAdditional Examiners: Prof. Dr. Thomas CremerProf. Dr. Walter SchartauProf. Dr. Wolfhard Bandlow (Protocol)thDate of the oral examination: 26 of June, 2003SYNOPSISFollowing the confirmation of DNA as the genetic material in the 1950’s,work focussed on how this information is translated into the functionalcomponents from which cells are composed. The controlled transcription ofspecific coding regions into RNA lead to the discovery of a variety of RNApolymerases, which were later shown to differ based on the purpose of theRNA which they produce. Eucaryotic cells possess three distinct RNApolymerases for production of the three major catagories of cellular RNA: Pol I(28 S-, 18 S- and 5.8 S-ribosomal RNA); Pol II (messenger RNA); Pol III (5 S-ribosomal RNA; transfer RNA). However, only Pol II transcripts (mRNA) arefurther translated into proteins.The results of the human genome project suggest the presence ofapproximately 30,000 genes, whose coding regions occupy less than 5 % of the 69x 10 DNA base pairs from which it consists.