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mRNA homoeostasis is favoured by crosstalk between transcription and degradation machineries. Both the Ccr4-Not and the Xrn1-decaysome complexes have been described to influence transcription. While Ccr4-Not has been shown to directly stimulate transcription elongation, the information available on how Xrn1 influences transcription is scarce and contradictory. In this study we have addressed this issue by mapping RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II) at high resolution, using CRAC and BioGRO-seq techniques in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found significant effects of Xrn1 perturbation on RNA pol II profiles across the genome. RNA pol II profiles at 5ʹ exhibited significant alterations that were compatible with decreased elongation rates in the absence of Xrn1. Nucleosome mapping detected altered chromatin configuration in the gene bodies. We also detected accumulation of RNA pol II shortly upstream of polyadenylation sites by CRAC, although not by BioGRO-seq, suggesting higher frequency of backtracking before pre-mRNA cleavage. This phenomenon was particularly linked to genes with poorly positioned nucleosomes at this position. Accumulation of RNA pol II at 3ʹ was also detected in other mRNA decay mutants. According to these and other pieces of evidence, Xrn1 seems to influence transcription elongation at least in two ways: by directly favouring elongation rates and by a more general mechanism that connects mRNA decay to late elongation.

Cell survival requires the control of biomolecule concentration, i.e. biomolecules should approach homeostasis. With information-carrying macromolecules, the particular concentration variation ranges depend on each type: DNA is not buffered, but mRNA and protein concentrations are homeostatically controlled, which leads to the ribostasis and proteostasis concepts. In recent years, we have studied the particular features of mRNA ribostasis and proteostasis in the model organism S. cerevisiae. Here we extend this study by comparing published data from three other model organisms: E. coli, S. pombe and cultured human cells. We describe how mRNA ribostasis is less strict than proteostasis. A constant ratio appears between the average decay and dilution rates during cell growth for mRNA, but not for proteins. We postulate that this is due to a trade-off between the cost of synthesis and the response capacity. This compromise takes place at the transcription level, but is not possible at the translation level as the high stability of proteins, versus that of mRNAs, precludes it. We hypothesize that the middle-place role of mRNA in the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology and its chemical instability make it more suitable than proteins for the fast changes needed for gene regulation.