scholarly journals mTORC1 Directly Phosphorylates and Regulates Human MAF1

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (15) ◽  
pp. 3749-3757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemieke A. Michels ◽  
Aaron M. Robitaille ◽  
Diane Buczynski-Ruchonnet ◽  
Wassim Hodroj ◽  
Jaime H. Reina ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT mTORC1 is a central regulator of growth in response to nutrient availability, but few direct targets have been identified. RNA polymerase (pol) III produces a number of essential RNA molecules involved in protein synthesis, RNA maturation, and other processes. Its activity is highly regulated, and deregulation can lead to cell transformation. The human phosphoprotein MAF1 becomes dephosphorylated and represses pol III transcription after various stresses, but neither the significance of the phosphorylations nor the kinase involved is known. We find that human MAF1 is absolutely required for pol III repression in response to serum starvation or TORC1 inhibition by rapamycin or Torin1. The protein is phosphorylated mainly on residues S60, S68, and S75, and this inhibits its pol III repression function. The responsible kinase is mTORC1, which phosphorylates MAF1 directly. Our results describe molecular mechanisms by which mTORC1 controls human MAF1, a key repressor of RNA polymerase III transcription, and add a new branch to the signal transduction cascade immediately downstream of TORC1.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo Abascal-Palacios ◽  
Laura Jochem ◽  
Carlos Pla-Prats ◽  
Fabienne Beuron ◽  
Alessandro Vannini

AbstractRetrotransposons are endogenous elements that have the ability to mobilise their DNA between different locations in the host genome. The Ty3 retrotransposon integrates with an exquisite specificity in a narrow window upstream of RNA Polymerase (Pol) III-transcribed genes, representing a paradigm for harmless targeted integration. Here we present the cryo-EM reconstruction at 4.0 Å of an active Ty3 strand transfer complex bound to TFIIIB transcription factor and a tRNA gene. The structure unravels the molecular mechanisms underlying Ty3 targeting specificity at Pol III-transcribed genes and sheds light into the architecture of retrotransposon machinery during integration. Ty3 intasome contacts a region of TBP, a subunit of TFIIIB, which is blocked by NC2 transcription regulator in RNA Pol II-transcribed genes. A newly-identified chromodomain on Ty3 integrase interacts with TFIIIB and the tRNA gene, defining with extreme precision the integration site position.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Lata ◽  
Karine Choquet ◽  
Francis Sagliocco ◽  
Bernard Brais ◽  
Geneviève Bernard ◽  
...  

RNA polymerase (Pol) III transcribes small untranslated RNAs such as 5S ribosomal RNA, transfer RNAs, and U6 small nuclear RNA. Because of the functions of these RNAs, Pol III transcription is best known for its essential contribution to RNA maturation and translation. Surprisingly, it was discovered in the last decade that various inherited mutations in genes encoding nine distinct subunits of Pol III cause tissue-specific diseases rather than a general failure of all vital functions. Mutations in the POLR3A, POLR3C, POLR3E and POLR3F subunits are associated with susceptibility to varicella zoster virus-induced encephalitis and pneumonitis. In addition, an ever-increasing number of distinct mutations in the POLR3A, POLR3B, POLR1C and POLR3K subunits cause a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, which includes most notably hypomyelinating leukodystrophy. Furthermore, other rare diseases are also associated with mutations in genes encoding subunits of Pol III (POLR3H, POLR3GL) and the BRF1 component of the TFIIIB transcription initiation factor. Although the causal relationship between these mutations and disease development is widely accepted, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis remain enigmatic. Here, we review the current knowledge on the functional impact of specific mutations, possible Pol III-related disease-causing mechanisms, and animal models that may help to better understand the links between Pol III mutations and disease.


Parasitology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 142 (13) ◽  
pp. 1563-1573 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. VÉLEZ-RAMÍREZ ◽  
L. E. FLORENCIO-MARTÍNEZ ◽  
G. ROMERO-MEZA ◽  
S. ROJAS-SÁNCHEZ ◽  
R. MORENO-CAMPOS ◽  
...  

SUMMARYRNA polymerase III (Pol III) synthesizes small RNA molecules that are essential for cell viability. Accurate initiation of transcription by Pol III requires general transcription factor TFIIIB, which is composed of three subunits: TFIIB-related factor BRF1, TATA-binding protein and BDP1. Here we report the molecular characterization of BRF1 in Trypanosoma brucei (TbBRF1), a parasitic protozoa that shows distinctive transcription characteristics. In silico analysis allowed the detection in TbBRF1 of the three conserved domains located in the N-terminal region of all BRF1 orthologues, namely a zinc ribbon motif and two cyclin repeats. Homology modelling suggested that, similarly to other BRF1 and TFIIB proteins, the TbBRF1 cyclin repeats show the characteristic structure of five α-helices per repeat, connected by a short random-coiled linker. As expected for a transcription factor, TbBRF1 was localized in the nucleus. Knock-down of TbBRF1 by RNA interference (RNAi) showed that this protein is essential for the viability of procyclic forms of T. brucei, since ablation of TbBRF1 led to growth arrest of the parasites. Nuclear run-on and quantitative real-time PCR analyses demonstrated that transcription of all the Pol III-dependent genes analysed was reduced, at different levels, after RNAi induction.


Science ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 340 (6140) ◽  
pp. 1577-1580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soren Nielsen ◽  
Yulia Yuzenkova ◽  
Nikolay Zenkin

Gene expression in organisms involves many factors and is tightly controlled. Although much is known about the initial phase of transcription by RNA polymerase III (Pol III), the enzyme that synthesizes the majority of RNA molecules in eukaryotic cells, termination is poorly understood. Here, we show that the extensive structure of Pol III–synthesized transcripts dictates the release of elongation complexes at the end of genes. The poly-T termination signal, which does not cause termination in itself, causes catalytic inactivation and backtracking of Pol III, thus committing the enzyme to termination and transporting it to the nearest RNA secondary structure, which facilitates Pol III release. Similarity between termination mechanisms of Pol III and bacterial RNA polymerase suggests that hairpin-dependent termination may date back to the common ancestor of multisubunit RNA polymerases.


2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 487-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemieke A. Michels

Yeast and mammalian MAF1 are both regulated by the TOR (target of rapamycin) pathway. However, the exact mechanisms of regulation diverge at TOR, with yeast Maf1 phosphorylated mainly by the TORC1 (TOR complex 1) substrate Sch9 kinase and mammalian MAF1 by mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1) itself. Sch9 phosphorylation of yeast Maf1 regulates Maf1 localization, but it is less clear whether phosphorylation of human MAF1 regulates its localization. Replacement of phosphosites with alanine decreases Pol III (RNA polymerase III) transcription, but the effect is much more pronounced for human MAF1 than for the yeast protein. In both cases, Pol III repression can be further increased by rapamycin treatment or, in mammalian cells, serum starvation, suggesting that the TOR pathway controls another aspect of Pol III transcription that is closely linked to MAF1, as it depends on the presence of MAF1.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1848-1859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian Graczyk ◽  
Robert J. White ◽  
Kevin M. Ryan

Inflammation in the tumor microenvironment has many tumor-promoting effects. In particular, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) produce many cytokines which can support tumor growth by promoting survival of malignant cells, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Enhanced cytokine production by TAMs is tightly coupled with protein synthesis. In turn, translation of proteins depends on tRNAs, short abundant transcripts that are made by RNA polymerase III (Pol III). Here, we connect these facts by showing that stimulation of mouse macrophages with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from the bacterial cell wall causes transcriptional upregulation of tRNA genes. The transcription factor NF-κB is a key transcription factor mediating inflammatory signals, and we report that LPS treatment causes an increased association of the NF-κB subunit p65 with tRNA genes. In addition, we show that p65 can directly associate with the Pol III transcription factor TFIIIB and that overexpression of p65 induces Pol III-dependent transcription. As a consequence of these effects, we show that inhibition of Pol III activity in macrophages restrains cytokine secretion and suppresses phagocytosis, two key functional characteristics of these cells. These findings therefore identify a radical new function for Pol III in the regulation of macrophage function which may be important for the immune responses associated with both normal and malignant cells.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 2147-2158
Author(s):  
R J Maraia ◽  
D J Kenan ◽  
J D Keene

Ample evidence indicates that Alu family interspersed elements retrotranspose via primary transcripts synthesized by RNA polymerase III (pol III) and that this transposition sometimes results in genetic disorders in humans. However, Alu primary transcripts can be processed posttranscriptionally, diverting them away from the transposition pathway. The pol III termination signal of a well-characterized murine B1 (Alu-equivalent) element inhibits RNA 3' processing, thereby stabilizing the putative transposition intermediary. We used an immobilized template-based assay to examine transcription termination by VA1, 7SL, and Alu class III templates and the role of transcript release in the pol III terminator-dependent inhibition of processing of B1-Alu transcripts. We found that the RNA-binding protein La confers this terminator-dependent 3' processing inhibition on transcripts released from the B1-Alu template. Using pure recombinant La protein and affinity-purified transcription complexes, we also demonstrate that La facilitates multiple rounds of transcription reinitiation by pol III. These results illustrate an important role for La in RNA production by demonstrating its ability to clear the termination sites of class III templates, thereby promoting efficient use of transcription complexes by pol III. The role of La as a potential regulatory factor in transcript maturation and how this might apply to Alu interspersed elements is discussed.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias K. Vorländer ◽  
Florence Baudin ◽  
Robyn D. Moir ◽  
René Wetzel ◽  
Wim J. H. Hagen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMaf1 is a highly conserved central regulator of transcription by RNA polymerase III (Pol III), and Maf1 activity influences a wide range of phenotypes from metabolic efficiency to lifespan. Here, we present a 3.3 Å cryo-EM structure of yeast Maf1 bound to Pol III, which establishes how Maf1 achieves transcription repression. In the Maf1-bound state, Pol III elements that are involved in transcription initiation are sequestered, and the active site is sealed off due to ordering of the mobile C34 winged helix 2 domain. Specifically, the Maf1 binding site overlaps with the binding site of the Pol III transcription factor TFIIIB and DNA in the pre-initiation complex, rationalizing that binding of Maf1 and TFIIIB to Pol III are mutually exclusive. We validate our structure using variants of Maf1 with impaired transcription-inhibition activity. These results reveal the exact mechanism of Pol III inhibition by Maf1, and rationalize previous biochemical data.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina A. Tatosyan ◽  
Danil V. Stasenko ◽  
Anastasia P. Koval ◽  
Irina K. Gogolevskaya ◽  
Dmitri A. Kramerov

tRNA and some other non-coding RNA genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III), due to the presence of intragenic promoter, consisting of boxes A and B spaced by 30–40 bp. Such pol III promoters, called type 2, are also intrinsic to Short Interspersed Elements (SINEs). The contribution of 5′-flanking sequences to the transcription efficiency of genes containing type 2 promoters is still studied insufficiently. Here, we studied this issue, focusing on the genes of two small non-coding RNAs (4.5SH and 4.5SI), as well as B1 and B2 SINEs from the mouse genome. We found that the regions from position −31 to −24 may significantly influence the transcription of genes and SINEs. We studied the influence of nucleotide substitutions in these sites, representing TATA-like boxes, on transcription of 4.5SH and 4.5SI RNA genes. As a rule, the substitutions of A and T to G or C reduced the transcription level, although the replacement of C with A also lowered it. In 4.5SH gene, five distal nucleotides of −31/−24 box (TTCAAGTA) appeared to be the most important, while in the box −31/−24 of 4.5SI gene (CTACATGA), all nucleotides, except for the first one, contributed significantly to the transcription efficiency. Random sequences occurring at positions −31/−24 upstream of SINE copies integrated into genome, promoted their transcription with different efficacy. In the 5′-flanking sequences of 4.5SH and 4.5SI RNA genes, the recognition sites of CREB, C/EBP, and Sp1 factors were found, and their deletion decreased the transcription.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liping Wu ◽  
Jing Pan ◽  
Vala Thoroddsen ◽  
Deborah R. Wysong ◽  
Ronald K. Blackman ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT A genetic approach utilizing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to identify the target of antifungal compounds. This analysis led to the identification of small molecule inhibitors of RNA polymerase (Pol) III from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Three lines of evidence show that UK-118005 inhibits cell growth by targeting RNA Pol III in yeast. First, a dominant mutation in the g domain of Rpo31p, the largest subunit of RNA Pol III, confers resistance to the compound. Second, UK-118005 rapidly inhibits tRNA synthesis in wild-type cells but not in UK-118005 resistant mutants. Third, in biochemical assays, UK-118005 inhibits tRNA gene transcription in vitro by the wild-type but not the mutant Pol III enzyme. By testing analogs of UK-118005 in a template-specific RNA Pol III transcription assay, an inhibitor with significantly higher potency, ML-60218, was identified. Further examination showed that both compounds are broad-spectrum inhibitors, displaying activity against RNA Pol III transcription systems derived from Candida albicans and human cells. The identification of these inhibitors demonstrates that RNA Pol III can be targeted by small synthetic molecules.


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