Who let the DoGs out? - biogenesis of stress-induced readthrough transcripts

Readthrough transcription caused by inefficient 3 '-end cleavage of nascent mRNAs has emerged as a hallmark of the mammalian cellular stress response and results in the production of long noncoding RNAs known as downstream of-gene (DoG)-containing transcripts. DoGs arise from around 10% of human protein-coding genes and are retained in the nucleus. They are produced minutes after cell exposure to stress and can be detected hours after stress removal. However, their biogenesis and the role(s) that DoGs or their production play in the cellular stress response are incompletely understood. We discuss findings that implicate host and viral proteins in the mechanisms underlying DoG production, as well as the transcriptional landscapes that accompany DoG induction under different stress conditions.

Automated summary

DoGs are long noncoding RNAs produced in response to cellular stress, and their production is regulated by host and viral proteins. The exact role and biogenesis of DoGs are not fully understood, but they can persist and be detected during the stress response period after stress removal.