The Esigma70-dependent N25 promoter is rate-limited at promoter escape. Here, RNA polymerase repeatedly initiates and aborts transcription, giving rise to a ladder of short RNAs 2-11 nucleotides long. Certain mutations in the initial transcribed sequence (ITS) of N25 lengthen the abortive initiation program, resulting in the release of very long abortive transcripts (VLATs) 16-19 nucleotides long. This phenomenon is completely dependent on sequences within the first 20 bases of the ITS since altering sequences downstream of +20 has no effect on their formation. VLAT formation also requires strong interactions between RNA polymerase and the promoter. Mutations that change the -35 and -10 hexamers and the intervening 17 base pair spacer away from consensus decrease the probability of aborting at positions +16 to +19. An unusual characteristic of the VLATs is their undiminished levels in the presence of GreB, which rescues abortive RNAs (

Calcineurin is responsible for mediating a wide variety of cellular processes in response to dynamic calcium (Ca 2+ ) signals, yet the precise mechanisms involved in the spatiotemporal control of calcineurin signaling are poorly understood. Here, we use genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors to directly probe the role of cytosolic Ca 2+ oscillations in modulating calcineurin activity dynamics in insulin-secreting MIN6 β-cells. We show that Ca 2+ oscillations induce distinct temporal patterns of calcineurin activity in the cytosol and plasma membrane vs at the ER and mitochondria in these cells. Furthermore, we found that these differential calcineurin activity patterns are determined by variations in the subcellular distribution of calmodulin (CaM), indicating that CaM plays an active role in shaping both the spatial and temporal aspects of calcineurin signaling. Together, our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms by which oscillatory signals are decoded to generate specific functional outputs within different cellular compartments.

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