David Bentley works on how messenger RNA (mRNA) is made by coordinating the steps of synthesis by transcription and maturation by RNA processing. His work on control of transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) at the steps of elongation and termination of RNA chains has shown that transcriptional activators and enhancers, previously thought to act exclusively at initiation, can also regulate elongation which is limited by a bottleneck that terminates transcripts prematurely near the beginning of genes. He showed that the RNAP II C-terminal domain (CTD) is a coupling device that coordinates transcription with pre-mRNA processing through its ability to recruit RNA processing factors, leading him to propose an 'mRNA factory' model for integrated synthesis and maturation of RNA transcripts. His recent work has shown that the speed of RNAP II is a critical factor that modulates co-transcriptional events. Bentley's work has stimulated an area of research that focuses on the many co-transcriptional events that contribute to regulated gene expression.
Professional position
- Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver
Subject groups
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Molecules of Life
Biochemistry and molecular biology
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Cell Biology
Genetics (excluding population genetics)
