Regulation and Manipulation of Non-Coding Transcription

Non-coding transcription is a prevalent event whose regulation and consequences are far less understood than gene expression. This thesis elucidates the regulation, functional impact and mode of action of different kinds of non-coding transcription in two distinct model organisms.
Chapter 1 is a published review article detailing the effect of non-coding RNA
transcription on coding gene expression and DNA processes. We separate different noncoding transcript classes by position relative to coding genes and DNA elements and highlight their regulation mechanism with examples from several eukaryotic organisms.
Chapter 2 contains a manuscript on the repression of divergent non-coding transcription by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hda1 complex (Hda1C). We identify Hda1C in a high-throughput genetic screen and demonstrate its genome-wide effect through histone deacetylation and reduction of initiation frequency.
Chapter 3 includes a manuscript on suppression of tandem transcriptional interference (tTI) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis thaliana through targeted protein binding. We target catalytically inactive Cas9 and TAL proteins to a locus undergoing tTI and show selective suppression of transcriptional repression.
Chapter 4 outlines the establishment of a protocol to purify a single genomic locus in Arabidopsis thaliana for mass spectrometric analysis. Uncovering the proteome of a locus subjected to tTI potentially reveals mechanistic aspects. The ability to isolate a locus of interest has diverse applications.
Appendix 1 is a manuscript reporting on the SINFONIA symposium on current
challenges and future perspectives in plant reproductive development. It underlines the importance of international collaboration to study a complex process across biological scales.