scholarly journals RNA polymerase II subunit composition, stoichiometry, and phosphorylation.

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1915-1920 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Kolodziej ◽  
N Woychik ◽  
S M Liao ◽  
R A Young

RNA polymerase II subunit composition, stoichiometry, and phosphorylation were investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by attaching an epitope coding sequence to a well-characterized RNA polymerase II subunit gene (RPB3) and by immunoprecipitating the product of this gene with its associated polypeptides. The immunopurified enzyme catalyzed alpha-amanitin-sensitive RNA synthesis in vitro. The 10 polypeptides that immunoprecipitated were identical in size and number to those previously described for RNA polymerase II purified by conventional column chromatography. The relative stoichiometry of the subunits was deduced from knowledge of the sequence of the subunits and from the extent of labeling with [35S]methionine. Immunoprecipitation from 32P-labeled cell extracts revealed that three of the subunits, RPB1, RPB2, and RPB6, are phosphorylated in vivo. Phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of RPB1 could be distinguished; approximately half of the RNA polymerase II molecules contained a phosphorylated RPB1 subunit. These results more precisely define the subunit composition and phosphorylation of a eucaryotic RNA polymerase II enzyme.

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1915-1920 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Kolodziej ◽  
N Woychik ◽  
S M Liao ◽  
R A Young

RNA polymerase II subunit composition, stoichiometry, and phosphorylation were investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by attaching an epitope coding sequence to a well-characterized RNA polymerase II subunit gene (RPB3) and by immunoprecipitating the product of this gene with its associated polypeptides. The immunopurified enzyme catalyzed alpha-amanitin-sensitive RNA synthesis in vitro. The 10 polypeptides that immunoprecipitated were identical in size and number to those previously described for RNA polymerase II purified by conventional column chromatography. The relative stoichiometry of the subunits was deduced from knowledge of the sequence of the subunits and from the extent of labeling with [35S]methionine. Immunoprecipitation from 32P-labeled cell extracts revealed that three of the subunits, RPB1, RPB2, and RPB6, are phosphorylated in vivo. Phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of RPB1 could be distinguished; approximately half of the RNA polymerase II molecules contained a phosphorylated RPB1 subunit. These results more precisely define the subunit composition and phosphorylation of a eucaryotic RNA polymerase II enzyme.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1639-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
S C Batson ◽  
R Sundseth ◽  
C V Heath ◽  
M Samuels ◽  
U Hansen

We have studied the initiation of transcription in vitro by RNA polymerase II on simian virus 40 (SV40) minichromosomal templates isolated from infected cells. The efficiency and pattern of transcription from the chromatin templates were compared with those from viral DNA templates by using two in vitro transcription systems, either HeLa whole-cell extract or basal transcription factors, RNA polymerase II, and one of two SV40 promoter-binding transcription factors, LSF and Sp1. Dramatic increases in numbers of transcripts upon addition of transcription extract and different patterns of usage of the multiple SV40 initiation sites upon addition of Sp1 versus LSF strongly suggested that transcripts were being initiated from the minichromosomal templates in vitro. That the majority of transcripts from the minichromosomes were due to initiation de novo was demonstrated by the efficient transcription observed in the presence of alpha-amanitin, which inhibited minichromosome-associated RNA polymerase II, and an alpha-amanitin-resistant RNA polymerase II, which initiated transcription in vitro. The pattern of transcription from the SV40 late and early promoters on the minichromosomal templates was similar to the in vivo pattern of transcription during the late stages of viral infection and was distinct from the pattern of transcription generated from viral DNA in vitro. In particular, the late promoter of the minichromosomal templates was transcribed with high efficiency, similar to viral DNA templates, while the early-early promoter of the minichromosomal templates was inhibited 10- to 15-fold. Finally, the number of minichromosomes competent to initiate transcription in vitro exceeded the amount actively being transcribed in vivo.


1977 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 267-279
Author(s):  
K.E. Davies ◽  
I.O. Walker

Methods for isolating nuclei, nucleoli and chromatin from Physarum polycephalum which retain high levels of endogenous RNA polymerase activity are described. Under carefully controlled conditions with respect to mono- and divalent cation concentrations RNA synthesis in nuclei displayed linear kinetics for at least 30 min and the RNA products had a similar size distribution to nuclear RNA synthesis observed in vivo. Chromatin showed 60% of the nuclear transcriptional activity but no conditions were found where faithful transcription of the template occurred. Isolated nucleoli were 5-fold more active than nuclei and the endogenous RNA polymerase activity was insensitive to alpha-amanitin. Under carefully controlled conditions, the nucleoli appeared to support the accurate transcription, re-initiation and processing of rRNA chains in vitro.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2884-2897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Kasai ◽  
H Chen ◽  
S J Flint

The adenovirus type 2 IVa2 promoter lacks a conventional TATA element yet directs transcription from two closely spaced initiation sites. To define elements required for in vitro transcription of this promoter, IVa2 templates carrying 5' deletions or linker-scanning mutations were transcribed in HeLa whole-cell extracts and the transcripts were analyzed by primer extension. Mutation of the sequence centered on position -47, which is specifically recognized by a cellular factor, reduced the efficiency of IVa2 transcription two- to threefold, whereas mutation of the sequence centered on position -30 selectively impaired utilization of the minor in vivo initiation site. Utilization of the major in vivo site was decreased no more than fivefold by deletion of all sequences upstream of position -15. By contrast, mutation of the region from +13 to +19 or of the initiation region severely impaired IVa2 transcription. The sequence spanning the initiation sites was sufficient to direct accurate initiation by RNA polymerase II from the major in vivo site. Thus, the two initiation sites of the IVa2 promoter are specified by independent elements, and a downstream element is the primary determinant of efficient transcription from both of these sites. The downstream element identified by mutational analysis altered the TATA element-like sequence TATAGAAA lying at positions +21 to +14 in the coding strand. Transcription from the wild-type IVa2 promoter was severely inhibited when endogenous TFIID was inactivated by mild heat treatment. Exogenous human TATA-binding protein (TBP) synthesized in Escherichia coli restored specific IVa2 transcription from both initiation sites when added to such heat-treated extracts. Although efficient IVa2 transcription requires both the downstream TATA sequence and active TFIID, bacterially synthesized TBP also stimulated the low level of IVa2 transcription observed when the TATA sequence was mutated to a sequence that failed to bind TBP.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ülkü Uzun ◽  
Thomas Brown ◽  
Harry Fischl ◽  
Andrew Angel ◽  
Jane Mellor

AbstractSpt4 is a transcription elongation factor, with homologues in organisms with nucleosomes. Structural and in vitro studies implicate Spt4 in transcription through nucleosomes, yet the in vivo function of Spt4 is unclear. Here we assessed the precise position of Spt4 during transcription and the consequences of loss of Spt4 on RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) dynamics and nucleosome positioning in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the absence of Spt4, the spacing between gene-body nucleosomes increases and RNAPII accumulates upstream of the nucleosomal dyad, most dramatically at nucleosome +2. Spt4 associates with elongating RNAPII early in transcription and its association dynamically changes depending on nucleosome positions. Together, our data show that Spt4 regulates early elongation dynamics, participates in co-transcriptional nucleosome positioning, and promotes RNAPII movement through the gene-body nucleosomes, especially the +2 nucleosome.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 6972-6979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie L. Beaudenon ◽  
Maria R. Huacani ◽  
Guangli Wang ◽  
Donald P. McDonnell ◽  
Jon M. Huibregtse

ABSTRACT Rsp5 is an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that belongs to the hect domain family of E3 proteins. We have previously shown that Rsp5 binds and ubiquitinates the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II, Rpb1, in vitro. We show here that Rpb1 ubiquitination and degradation are induced in vivo by UV irradiation and by the UV-mimetic compound 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) and that a functional RSP5 gene product is required for this effect. The 26S proteasome is also required; a mutation ofSEN3/RPN2 (sen3-1), which encodes an essential regulatory subunit of the 26S proteasome, partially blocks 4-NQO-induced degradation of Rpb1. These results suggest that Rsp5-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of Rpb1 are components of the response to DNA damage. A human WW domain-containing hect (WW-hect) E3 protein closely related to Rsp5, Rpf1/hNedd4, also binds and ubiquitinates both yeast and human Rpb1 in vitro, suggesting that Rpf1 and/or another WW-hect E3 protein mediates UV-induced degradation of the large subunit of polymerase II in human cells.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2884-2897
Author(s):  
Y Kasai ◽  
H Chen ◽  
S J Flint

The adenovirus type 2 IVa2 promoter lacks a conventional TATA element yet directs transcription from two closely spaced initiation sites. To define elements required for in vitro transcription of this promoter, IVa2 templates carrying 5' deletions or linker-scanning mutations were transcribed in HeLa whole-cell extracts and the transcripts were analyzed by primer extension. Mutation of the sequence centered on position -47, which is specifically recognized by a cellular factor, reduced the efficiency of IVa2 transcription two- to threefold, whereas mutation of the sequence centered on position -30 selectively impaired utilization of the minor in vivo initiation site. Utilization of the major in vivo site was decreased no more than fivefold by deletion of all sequences upstream of position -15. By contrast, mutation of the region from +13 to +19 or of the initiation region severely impaired IVa2 transcription. The sequence spanning the initiation sites was sufficient to direct accurate initiation by RNA polymerase II from the major in vivo site. Thus, the two initiation sites of the IVa2 promoter are specified by independent elements, and a downstream element is the primary determinant of efficient transcription from both of these sites. The downstream element identified by mutational analysis altered the TATA element-like sequence TATAGAAA lying at positions +21 to +14 in the coding strand. Transcription from the wild-type IVa2 promoter was severely inhibited when endogenous TFIID was inactivated by mild heat treatment. Exogenous human TATA-binding protein (TBP) synthesized in Escherichia coli restored specific IVa2 transcription from both initiation sites when added to such heat-treated extracts. Although efficient IVa2 transcription requires both the downstream TATA sequence and active TFIID, bacterially synthesized TBP also stimulated the low level of IVa2 transcription observed when the TATA sequence was mutated to a sequence that failed to bind TBP.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1639-1651
Author(s):  
S C Batson ◽  
R Sundseth ◽  
C V Heath ◽  
M Samuels ◽  
U Hansen

We have studied the initiation of transcription in vitro by RNA polymerase II on simian virus 40 (SV40) minichromosomal templates isolated from infected cells. The efficiency and pattern of transcription from the chromatin templates were compared with those from viral DNA templates by using two in vitro transcription systems, either HeLa whole-cell extract or basal transcription factors, RNA polymerase II, and one of two SV40 promoter-binding transcription factors, LSF and Sp1. Dramatic increases in numbers of transcripts upon addition of transcription extract and different patterns of usage of the multiple SV40 initiation sites upon addition of Sp1 versus LSF strongly suggested that transcripts were being initiated from the minichromosomal templates in vitro. That the majority of transcripts from the minichromosomes were due to initiation de novo was demonstrated by the efficient transcription observed in the presence of alpha-amanitin, which inhibited minichromosome-associated RNA polymerase II, and an alpha-amanitin-resistant RNA polymerase II, which initiated transcription in vitro. The pattern of transcription from the SV40 late and early promoters on the minichromosomal templates was similar to the in vivo pattern of transcription during the late stages of viral infection and was distinct from the pattern of transcription generated from viral DNA in vitro. In particular, the late promoter of the minichromosomal templates was transcribed with high efficiency, similar to viral DNA templates, while the early-early promoter of the minichromosomal templates was inhibited 10- to 15-fold. Finally, the number of minichromosomes competent to initiate transcription in vitro exceeded the amount actively being transcribed in vivo.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Coulombe ◽  
Marie-France Langelier

High resolution X-ray crystal structures of multisubunit RNA polymerases (RNAP) have contributed to our understanding of transcriptional mechanisms. They also provided a powerful guide for the design of experiments aimed at further characterizing the molecular stages of the transcription reaction. Our laboratory used tandem-affinity peptide purification in native conditions to isolate human RNAP II variants that had site-specific mutations in structural elements located strategically within the enzyme's catalytic center. Both in vitro and in vivo analyses of these mutants revealed novel features of the catalytic mechanisms involving this enzyme.Key words: RNA polymerase II, transcriptional mechanisms, mutational analysis, mRNA synthesis.


2001 ◽  
Vol 276 (15) ◽  
pp. 12266-12273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenxiang Wei ◽  
Dorjbal Dorjsuren ◽  
Yong Lin ◽  
Weiping Qin ◽  
Takahiro Nomura ◽  
...  

The general transcription factor IIF (TFIIF) assembled in the initiation complex, and RAP30 of TFIIF, have been shown to associate with RNA polymerase II (pol II), although it remains unclear which pol II subunit is responsible for the interaction. We examined whether TFIIF interacts with RNA polymerase II subunit 5 (RPB5), the exposed domain of which binds transcriptional regulatory factors such as hepatitis B virus X protein and a novel regulatory protein, RPB5-mediating protein. The results demonstrated that RPB5 directly binds RAP30in vitrousing purified recombinant proteins andin vivoin COS1 cells transiently expressing recombinant RAP30 and RPB5. The RAP30-binding region was mapped to the central region (amino acids (aa) 47–120) of RPB5, which partly overlaps the hepatitis B virus X protein-binding region. Although the middle part (aa 101–170) and the N-terminus (aa 1–100) of RAP30 independently bound RPB5, the latter was not involved in the RPB5 binding when RAP30 was present in TFIIF complex. Scanning of the middle part of RAP30 by clustered alanine substitutions and then point alanine substitutions pinpointed two residues critical for the RPB5 binding inin vitroandin vivoassays. Wild type but not mutants Y124A and Q131A of RAP30 coexpressed with FLAG-RAP74 efficiently recovered endogenous RPB5 to the FLAG-RAP74-bound anti-FLAG M2 resin. The recovered endogenous RPB5 is assembled in pol II as demonstrated immunologically. Interestingly, coexpression of the central region of RPB5 and wild type RAP30 inhibited recovery of endogenous pol II to the FLAG-RAP74-bound M2 resin, strongly suggesting that the RAP30-binding region of RPB5 inhibited the association of TFIIF and pol II. The exposed domain of RPB5 interacts with RAP30 of TFIIF and is important for the association between pol II and TFIIF.


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