Cytoplasmic mRNA decay represses RNAPII transcription during early apoptosis

We report that a majority of RNAPII transcripts are transcriptionally downregulated during early apoptosis, prior to the fragmentation of the genome that occurs during the late stages of programmed cell death. Examination of transcript fold changes upon 2 hr TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), both in the presence and absence of the pan-caspase inhibitor zVAD.