Hitting the brakes on transcription to extend lifespan

In aged animals from worms to humans, transcriptional elongation rates are faster, leading to changes in transcript quality and alternative splicing. Recent work by Debes et al. shows how interventions that slow elongation rates, such as mu-tating RNA polymerase II (Pol II) or increasing nucleosome density to impose transcriptional 'traffic', delay senescence and promote longevity.