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Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 16, 1123–1124 (1 November 2009) | doi:10.1038/nsmb1109-1123

Tracking rates of transcription and splicing in vivo

M Behfar Ardehali & John T Lis

In the past 30 years, a wide array of biochemical, molecular and imaging approaches have been used to estimate the elongation rate of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in vivo (Table 1). Although these studies have provided rates that were critical in evaluating the mechanics and regulation of gene expression in different model organisms, their focus has primarily been on single genes and, in some cases, on non-native, engineered transcription cassettes.