The human pol II-transcribed snRNA genes; a model for gene-type specific transcription.

我们染色体中包含的基因由DNA组成，并指导我们体内细胞正常生存和发挥功能所需的所有成分的生产。这就是所谓的基因“表达”。为了确保在正确的时间和正确的地点制造适当的产品，基因表达受到多个层面的调控。由于产品出现在错误的位置和/或错误的时间，这些控制措施的失败可能会导致疾病。基因表达的第一步是将基因的DNA复制到RNA中，RNA是一种类似的分子。这个过程被称为转录，通常在将RNA产物翻译成蛋白质之前，必须对其进行修饰或加工。这一过程也可以被控制，以确定基因产品是在何时何地制造的。我们正在研究一组不同的基因的表达，即SnRNA基因，其产物帮助处理编码蛋白质的RNA(称为信使RNA)，从而在我们大多数基因的表达过程中执行基本任务。SnRNA基因有自己的特殊表达机制，目前还不完全清楚。准确地了解SnRNA基因的表达是如何控制的，对于了解我们的细胞在健康和疾病中如何发挥作用至关重要。例如，癌细胞需要制造更多的SnRNA基因产物才能快速分裂。我们已经开发了一系列“最先进的”技术来回答有关这些基因表达调控的突出问题。对我们问题的回答也将有助于理解蛋白质编码基因的表达是如何控制的。

The genes contained in our chromosomes are composed of DNA and direct the production of all the components necessary for the cells within our bodies to survive and function correctly. This is known as 'expression' of the gene. To ensure that the appropriate products are made at the right time and in the right place, gene expression is regulated at many levels. Failure of these controls can result in disease due to the appearance of a product in the wrong place and/or at the wrong time. The first step in gene expression is to copy the DNA of a gene into RNA, which is a similar type of molecule. This process is known as transcription and often the RNA product must be modified or processed before it can be translated into protein. This processing can also be controlled to determine when and where gene products are made. We are studying the expression of a distinct set of genes, the snRNA genes, whose products help to process the RNAs that code for protein (known as messenger RNAs) and therefore perform fundamental tasks during expression of most of our genes. The snRNA genes have their own specialised expression mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. Understanding exactly how expression of snRNA genes is controlled is critical to understanding how our cells function in health and disease. For example, cancer cells need to make more of the products of snRNA genes to rapidly divide. We have developed a range of "state of the art" techniques to answer the outstanding questions about regulation of expression of these genes. The answers to our questions will also help to understand how expression of protein-coding genes is controlled.