Control, specificity and function of RNA polymerase II modification in human messenger RNA maturation

Messenger RNA (mRNA) processing by capping, splicing and cleavage and polyadenylation generates protein-coding information from primary transcripts. The maturation of mRNA is coordinated with transcription via phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II. This modification is thought to constitute a code that orchestrates transcriptional and mRNA maturation events. Dr West will make use of a combination of biochemistry, genome editing and proteomics in order to investigate both how this C-terminal domain modification is co-transcriptionally regulated and whether there are other interacting proteins that are essential for the biological effects of this phosphorylation.