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Mammalian Ribosomal Gene Transcription

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Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology

Part of the book series: Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology ((NUCLEIC,volume 3))

Abstract

Ribosomal RNA genes belong to the most actively transcribed genes of the cell. Actually, transcription of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) constitutes about 50% of cellular RNA syntheses. This extraordinarily high transcriptional activity reflects the need of the cell to produce more than a million ribosomes per cell cycle. The very efficient and coordinated transcription of these genes ensures the delicately balanced constitution of the protein biosynthesis machinery. Because of the requirement of ribosomes to support translation, the cellular machinery responsible for rRNA synthesis is designed to respond to a wide variety of specific signals so that these genes can be expressed in a controlled fashion. For example, the synthesis of rRNA is sensitive to a variety of physiological conditions such as the nutrient state, the phase of the cell cycle, the state of proliferation, and viral infection. In fact, elevation in rRNA synthesis appears to be one of the earliest biochemical events occurring after mitogenic stimulation of cell proliferation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Biochemie, Röntgenring 11, 8700, Würzburg, Germany

    I. Grummt

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  1. I. Grummt
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abteilung Chemie, Max-Planck-Institut für experimentelle Medizin, Hermann-Rein-Straße 3, 3400, Göttingen, Germany

    Fritz Eckstein

  2. Biochemistry Department, University of Dundee, DD1 4HN, Dundee, UK

    David M. J. Lilley

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Grummt, I. (1989). Mammalian Ribosomal Gene Transcription. In: Eckstein, F., Lilley, D.M.J. (eds) Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology. Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83709-8_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83709-8_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-83711-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-83709-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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