scholarly journals Combining Protein and RNA Quantification to Evaluate Promoter Activity by Using Dual-color Fluorescent Reporting Systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Peng ◽  
Xin Huang ◽  
Tianfang Huang ◽  
Feng Du ◽  
Xin Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Promoter Activity ◽  
Eukaryotic Cells ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Rna Quantification ◽  
Dual Color ◽  
Reporting Systems ◽  
Pol Iii

Herein, a Broccoli/mCherry and an EGFP/mCherry dual-color fluorescent reporting systems have been established to quantify the promoter activity at transcription and translation level in eukaryotic cells. Based on those systems, four commonly used promoters (CMV and SV40 of Pol II and U6, H1 of Pol III) were accurately evaluated at both the transcriptional and translational levels by combining accurate protein and RNA quantification. Furthermore, we verified that Pol III promoters can induce proteins expression, and Pol II promoter can be applied to express RNA molecules with defined length by combining a self-cleaving ribozyme and an artificial poly(A) tail. The dual-color fluorescence reporting systems described here could play a significant role in evaluating other gene expression regulators for gene therapy.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans rpc-1 gene

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Qun Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Promoter Activity ◽  
Rna Polymerase Iii ◽  
Transgenic Animals ◽  
Rna Polymerases ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Pol I ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Pol Iii

In eukaryotes, two large subunits form the core catalytic structure of RNA polymerase III (Pol III), which is conserved in other RNA polymerases, Pol I and Pol II. It has been found that Pol III activity is tightly associated to cell growth. TFIII B has been shown to be one of main mediators in this process. No regulation of the Pol III largest subunit gene has been found. In C. elegans, the rpc-1 gene encodes the largest subunit of Pol III. Here, I identified two critical structural components of RPC-1, Gly644 and Gly1055, whose mutations result in larval lethal arrestment. These two amino acid residues are universally conserved in RNA polymerases, indicating their overall involvement in gene transcription mechanism. Also, I found that maternally inherited, not embryonically expressed, rpc-1 gene products survive early development. Starvation was found to suppress rpc-1 gene expression and re-feeding treatment enhances rpc-1 gene expression rapidly. No similar regulation was detected in genes encoding largest subunits of Pol I and Pol II. This is the first time that rpc-1 gene regulation has been reported. Insulin signaling may not be involved in this regulation. Also, I found that rpc-1 promoter is not ubiquitously active in C. elegans. Using the rpc-1p::gfp transgene, the rpc-1 promoter activity is only detected in a subset of neurons in the head and the tail and the intestine. While starvation silences the rpc-1 promoter activity in most tissues and cells, ASK neurons still show GFP staining in the rpc-1p::gfp transgenic animals, indicating that rpc-1 transcription in ASK neurons is continuously active under starvation conditions. Further studies suggest that TGF-[beta] signaling is involved in mediating the rpc-1 promoter activity in ASK neurons.

scholarly journals Live-cell imaging of Pol II promoter activity to monitor gene expression with RNA IMAGEtag reporters

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. e90-e90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilchung Shin ◽  
Judhajeet Ray ◽  
Vinayak Gupta ◽  
Muslum Ilgu ◽  
Jonathan Beasley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Live Cell Imaging ◽  
Promoter Activity ◽  
Cell Imaging ◽  
Live Cell ◽  
Pol Ii

scholarly journals Enhancers predominantly regulate gene expression in vivo via transcription initiation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin S. C. Larke ◽  
Takayuki Nojima ◽  
Jelena Telenius ◽  
Jacqueline A. Sharpe ◽  
Jacqueline A. Sloane-Stanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Control Gene ◽  
Transcriptional Initiation ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Control Gene Expression

ABSTRACTGene transcription occurs via a cycle of linked events including initiation, promoter proximal pausing and elongation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II). A key question is how do transcriptional enhancers influence these events to control gene expression? Here we have used a new approach to quantify transcriptional initiation and pausing in vivo, while simultaneously identifying transcription start sites (TSSs) and pause-sites (TPSs) from single RNA molecules. When analyzed in parallel with nascent RNA-seq, these data show that differential gene expression is achieved predominantly via changes in transcription initiation rather than Pol II pausing. Using genetically engineered mouse models deleted for specific enhancers we show that these elements control gene expression via Pol II recruitment and/or initiation rather than via promoter proximal pause release. Together, our data show that enhancers, in general, control gene expression predominantly by Pol II recruitment and initiation rather than via pausing.

Small nuclear RNA genes transcribed by either RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III in monocot plants share three promoter elements and use a strategy to regulate gene expression different from that used by their dicot plant counterparts

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 5910-5919
Author(s):  
S Connelly ◽  
C Marshallsay ◽  
D Leader ◽  
J W Brown ◽  
W Filipowicz
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Polymerase Iii ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Small Nuclear Rna ◽  
Promoter Elements ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Snrna Gene ◽  
Nuclear Rna ◽  
Pol Iii

RNA polymerase (Pol) II- and RNA Pol III-transcribed small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes of dicotyledonous plants contain two essential upstream promoter elements, the USE and TATA. The USE is a highly conserved plant snRNA gene-specific element, and its distance from the -30 TATA box, corresponding to approximately three and four helical DNA turns in Pol III and Pol II genes, respectively, is crucial for determining RNA Pol specificity of transcription. Sequences upstream of the USE play no role in snRNA gene transcription in dicot plants. Here we show that for expression of snRNA genes in maize, a monocotyledonous plant, the USE and TATA elements are essential, but not sufficient, for transcription. Efficient expression of both Pol II- and Pol III-specific snRNA genes in transfected maize protoplasts requires an additional element(s) positioned upstream of the USE. This element, named MSP (for monocot-specific promoter; consensus, RGCCCR), is present in one to three copies in monocot snRNA genes and is interchangeable between Pol II- and Pol III-specific genes. The efficiency of snRNA gene expression in maize protoplast is determined primarily by the strength of the MSP element(s); this contrasts with the situation in protoplasts of a dicot plant, Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, where promoter strength is a function of the quality of the USE element. Interestingly, the organization of monocot Pol III-specific snRNA gene promoters closely resembles those of equivalent vertebrate promoters. The data are discussed in the context of the coevolution of Pol II- and Pol III-specific snRNA gene promoters within many eukaryotic organisms.

scholarly journals Orthogonal Control of Gene Expression in Plants Using Synthetic Promoters and CRISPR-Based Transcription Factors

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaunak Kar ◽  
Yogendra Bordiya ◽  
Nestor Rodriguez ◽  
Junghyun Kim ◽  
Elizabeth C Gardner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
System Level ◽  
Plant Signaling ◽  
Promoter Elements ◽  
Control Of Gene Expression ◽  
Form Complex ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Synthetic Promoters ◽  
Pol Iii

Abstract Background: The construction and application of synthetic genetic circuits is frequently improved if gene expression can be orthogonally controlled, relative to the host. In plants, orthogonality can be achieved via the use of CRISPR-based transcription factors that are programmed to act on natural or synthetic promoters. The construction of complex gene circuits can require multiple, orthogonal regulatory interactions, and this in turn requires that the full programmability of CRISPR elements be adapted to non-natural and non-standard promoters that have few constraints on their design. Therefore, we have developed synthetic promoter elements in which regions upstream of the minimal 35S CaMV promoter are designed from scratch to interact via programmed gRNAs with dCas9 fusions that allow activation of gene expression. Results: A panel of three, mutually orthogonal promoters that can be acted on by artificial gRNAs bound by CRISPR regulators were designed. Guide RNA expression targeting these promoters was in turn controlled by either Pol III (U6) or ethylene-inducible Pol II promoters, implementing for the first time a fully artificial Orthogonal Control System (OCS). Following demonstration of the complete orthogonality of the designs, the OCS was tied to cellular metabolism by putting gRNA expression under the control of an endogenous plant signaling molecule, ethylene. The ability to form complex circuitry was demonstrated via the ethylene-driven, ratiometric expression of fluorescent proteins in single plants. Conclusions: The design of synthetic promoters is highly generalizable to large tracts of sequence space, allowing Orthogonal Control Systems of increasing complexity to potentially be generated at will. The ability to tie in several different basal features of plant molecular biology (Pol II and Pol III promoters, ethylene regulation) to the OCS demonstrates multiple opportunities for engineering at the system level. Moreover, given the fungibility of the core 35S CaMV promoter elements, the derived synthetic promoters can potentially be utilized across a variety of plant species.

scholarly journals Orthogonal control of gene expression in plants using synthetic promoters and CRISPR-based transcription factors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaunak Kar ◽  
Yogendra Bordiya ◽  
Nestor Rodriguez ◽  
Jungyun Kim ◽  
Elizabeth C Gardner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
System Level ◽  
Plant Signaling ◽  
Promoter Elements ◽  
Control Of Gene Expression ◽  
Form Complex ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Synthetic Promoters ◽  
Pol Iii

Background: The construction and application of synthetic genetic circuits is frequently improved if gene expression can be orthogonally controlled, relative to the host. In plants, orthogonality can be achieved via the use of CRISPR-based transcription factors that are programmed to act on natural or synthetic promoters. The construction of complex gene circuits can require multiple, orthogonal regulatory interactions, and this in turn requires that the full programmability of CRISPR elements be adapted to non-natural and non-standard promoters that have few constraints on their design. Therefore, we have developed synthetic promoter elements in which regions upstream of the minimal 35S CaMV promoter are designed from scratch to interact via programmed gRNAs with dCas9 fusions that allow activation of gene expression. Results: A panel of three, mutually orthogonal promoters that can be acted on by artificial gRNAs bound by CRISPR regulators were designed. Guide RNA expression targeting these promoters was in turn controlled by either Pol III (U6) or ethylene-inducible Pol II promoters, implementing for the first time a fully artificial Orthogonal Control System (OCS). Following demonstration of the complete orthogonality of the designs, the OCS was tied to cellular metabolism by putting gRNA expression under the control of an endogenous plant signaling molecule, ethylene. The ability to form complex circuitry was demonstrated via the ethylene-driven, ratiometric expression of fluorescent proteins in single plants. Conclusions: The design of synthetic promoters is highly generalizable to large tracts of sequence space, allowing Orthogonal Control Systems of increasing complexity to potentially be generated at will. The ability to tie in several different basal features of plant molecular biology (Pol II and Pol III promoters, ethylene regulation) to the OCS demonstrates multiple opportunities for engineering at the system level. Moreover, given the fungibility of the core 35S CaMV promoter elements, the derived synthetic promoters can potentially be utilized across a variety of plant species.

scholarly journals Small nuclear RNA genes transcribed by either RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III in monocot plants share three promoter elements and use a strategy to regulate gene expression different from that used by their dicot plant counterparts.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 5910-5919 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Connelly ◽  
C Marshallsay ◽  
D Leader ◽  
J W Brown ◽  
W Filipowicz
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Polymerase Iii ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Small Nuclear Rna ◽  
Promoter Elements ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Snrna Gene ◽  
Nuclear Rna ◽  
Pol Iii

RNA polymerase (Pol) II- and RNA Pol III-transcribed small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes of dicotyledonous plants contain two essential upstream promoter elements, the USE and TATA. The USE is a highly conserved plant snRNA gene-specific element, and its distance from the -30 TATA box, corresponding to approximately three and four helical DNA turns in Pol III and Pol II genes, respectively, is crucial for determining RNA Pol specificity of transcription. Sequences upstream of the USE play no role in snRNA gene transcription in dicot plants. Here we show that for expression of snRNA genes in maize, a monocotyledonous plant, the USE and TATA elements are essential, but not sufficient, for transcription. Efficient expression of both Pol II- and Pol III-specific snRNA genes in transfected maize protoplasts requires an additional element(s) positioned upstream of the USE. This element, named MSP (for monocot-specific promoter; consensus, RGCCCR), is present in one to three copies in monocot snRNA genes and is interchangeable between Pol II- and Pol III-specific genes. The efficiency of snRNA gene expression in maize protoplast is determined primarily by the strength of the MSP element(s); this contrasts with the situation in protoplasts of a dicot plant, Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, where promoter strength is a function of the quality of the USE element. Interestingly, the organization of monocot Pol III-specific snRNA gene promoters closely resembles those of equivalent vertebrate promoters. The data are discussed in the context of the coevolution of Pol II- and Pol III-specific snRNA gene promoters within many eukaryotic organisms.

scholarly journals TATA-binding protein is limiting for both TATA-containing and TATA-lacking RNA polymerase III promoters in Drosophila cells.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 6909-6916 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Trivedi ◽  
A Vilalta ◽  
S Gopalan ◽  
D L Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Tata Binding Protein ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Rna Pol Ii ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Pol Iii ◽  
Carboxy Terminal ◽  
Drosophila Cells ◽  
U6 Rna

We have investigated the role of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) in modulating RNA polymerase (Pol) III gene activity. Epitope-tagged TBP (e-TBP) was both transiently and stably transfected in Drosophila Schneider S-2 cells to increase the total cellular level of TBP. Analysis of the transcripts synthesized from cotransfected tRNA and U6 RNA genes revealed that both types of RNA Pol III promoters were substantially stimulated by an increase in e-TBP in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, a TBP-dependent increase in the levels of endogenous tRNA transcripts was produced in the stable line induced to express the e-TBP. We further determined whether the ability of increased TBP to induce RNA Pol III gene expression was due to a direct effect of increased TBP complexes on RNA Pol III gene promoters or an indirect consequence of enhanced expression of RNA Pol II genes. A TBP expression plasmid (e-TBP332), containing a mutation within the highly conserved carboxy-terminal domain, was both transiently and stably transfected into S-2 cells. e-TBP332 augmented the transcription from two RNA Pol II gene promoters indistinguishably from that observed when e-TBP was expressed. In contrast, e-TBP332 was completely defective in its ability to stimulate either the tRNA or U6 RNA gene promoters. In addition, increasing levels of a truncated TBP protein containing only the carboxy-terminal region failed to induce either the tRNA or U6 RNA gene promoter, whereas it retained its ability to stimulate an RNA Pol II promoter. Thus, the TBP-dependent increase in RNA Pol II gene activity is not sufficient for enhanced RNA Pol III gene transcription; rather, a direct effect on RNA Pol III promoters is required. Furthermore, these results provide the first direct evidence that the amino-terminal region of TBP is important for the formation or function of TBP-containing complexes utilized by TATA-less and TATA-containing RNA Pol III promoters. Together, these studies demonstrate that TBP is limiting for the expression of both classes of RNA Pol III promoters in Drosophila cells and implicate an important role for TBP in regulating RNA Pol III gene expression.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document