Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41310264›Full record

ArticleNature structural & molecular biology2026

Kinetic control of mammalian transcription elongation.

Yukun Wang, Xizi Chen, Maximilian Kümmecke, John W Watters, Joel E Cohen, Yanhui Xu, Shixin Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature structural & molecular biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yukun Wang *Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
Xizi Chen *Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Maximilian KümmeckeLaboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
John W WattersLaboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5786-8861
Joel E CohenLaboratory of Populations, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9746-6725
Yanhui XuFudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. xuyh@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1408-5178
Shixin LiuLaboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA. shixinliu@rockefeller.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4238-7066

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is an integral step in eukaryotic gene expression. The speed of Pol II is controlled by a multitude of elongation factors, but the exact regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood, especially for higher eukaryotes. Here we develop a single-molecule platform to visualize the dynamics of individual mammalian transcription elongation complexes (ECs) reconstituted from purified proteins. This platform allows us to follow the elongation and pausing behavior of EC in real time and unambiguously determine the role of each elongation factor in the kinetic control of Pol II. We find that the mammalian EC harbors multiple speed gears dictated by its associated factors and phosphorylation status. Moreover, the elongation factors are not functionally redundant but act hierarchically and synergistically to achieve optimal elongation activity. We propose that such elaborate kinetic regulation underlies the major speed-changing events during the transcription cycle and enables cells to adapt to a changing environment.

Indexed as

RNA Polymerase IITranscriptional Elongation FactorsTranscription Elongation, GeneticAnimalsHumansKineticsPhosphorylationSingle Molecule ImagingTranscription, GeneticRNA Polymerase IITranscriptional Elongation Factors

Identifiers

PMID41310264
PMCPMC12916322

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.