Retraction Notice to: Population-Level Transcription Cycles Derive from Stochastic Timing of Single-Cell Transcription

Abstract

(Cell 138, 498–501; August 7, 2009)In this paper, we used computational approaches to show that transcriptional cycling, i.e., periodic assembly of transcription factors and their cofactors and the resulting cyclical accumulation of mRNA, may stem from stochastic timing and sequential activation of transcription in individual cells. We also presented experimental results in support of the model. We have recently uncovered instances in several figures where experimental data points were altered or selectively included in or excluded from the analyses; these manipulations do not affect the computational modeling. The first author has acknowledged responsibility for the manipulations. We have now reanalyzed the experimental data and find that they no longer provide statistically significant support for our claim of population-level transcription cycling. We are therefore retracting the paper. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.