A spatially resolved stochastic model reveals the role of supercoiling in transcription regulation

PLoS Comput Biol. 2022 Sep 19;18(9):e1009788. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009788. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Abstract

In Escherichia coli, translocation of RNA polymerase (RNAP) during transcription introduces supercoiling to DNA, which influences the initiation and elongation behaviors of RNAP. To quantify the role of supercoiling in transcription regulation, we developed a spatially resolved supercoiling model of transcription. The integrated model describes how RNAP activity feeds back with the local DNA supercoiling and how this mechanochemical feedback controls transcription, subject to topoisomerase activities and stochastic topological domain formation. This model establishes that transcription-induced supercoiling mediates the cooperation of co-transcribing RNAP molecules in highly expressed genes, and this cooperation is achieved under moderate supercoiling diffusion and high topoisomerase unbinding rates. It predicts that a topological domain could serve as a transcription regulator, generating substantial transcriptional noise. It also shows the relative orientation of two closely arranged genes plays an important role in regulating their transcription. The model provides a quantitative platform for investigating how genome organization impacts transcription.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases* / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic* / genetics

Substances

  • DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases

Grants and funding

J.X. and E.R. received funding from National Science Foundation (https://www.nsf.gov/) under grant MCB1817551. J.L. received funding from National Science Foundation (https://www.nsf.gov/) under grant MCB2105837. C.H.B. and N.Y. received funding from National Institutes of Health (https://www.nih.gov) under grant 5T32GM007231. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.