scholarly journals Essential Roles of Bdp1, a Subunit of RNA Polymerase III Initiation Factor TFIIIB, in Transcription and tRNA Processing

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 3264-3275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Ishiguro ◽  
George A. Kassavetis ◽  
E. Peter Geiduschek

ABSTRACT The essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene BDP1 encodes a subunit of RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcription factor (TFIIIB); TATA box binding protein (TBP) and Brf1 are the other subunits of this three-protein complex. Deletion analysis defined three segments of Bdp1 that are essential for viability. A central segment, comprising amino acids 327 to 353, was found to be dispensable, and cells making Bdp1 that was split within this segment, at amino acid 352, are viable. Suppression of bdp1 conditional viability by overexpressing SPT15 and BRF1 identified functional interactions of specific Bdp1 segments with TBP and Brf1, respectively. A Bdp1 deletion near essential segment I was synthetically lethal with overexpression of PCF1-1, a dominant gain-of-function mutation in the second tetracopeptide repeat motif (out of 11) of the Tfc4 (τ131) subunit of TFIIIC. The analysis also identifies a connection between Bdp1 and posttranscriptional processing of Pol III transcripts. Yeast genomic library screening identified RPR1 as the specific overexpression suppressor of very slow growth at 37°C due to deletion of Bdp1 amino acids 253 to 269. RPR1 RNA, a Pol III transcript, is the RNA subunit of RNase P, which trims pre-tRNA transcript 5′ ends. Maturation of tRNA was found to be aberrant in bdp1-Δ253-269 cells, and RPR1 transcription with the highly resolved Pol III transcription system in vitro was also diminished when recombinant Bdp1Δ253-269 replaced wild-type Bdp1. Physical interaction of RNase P with Bdp1 was demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation and pull-down assays.

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1082-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.A. Kassavetis ◽  
E.P. Geiduschek

pol (RNA polymerase) III is charged with the task of transcribing nuclear genes encoding diverse small structural and catalytic RNAs. We present a brief review of the current understanding of several aspects of the pol III transcription apparatus. The focus is on yeast and, more specifically, on Saccharomyces cerevisiae; preponderant attention is given to the TFs (transcription initiation factors) and especially to TFIIIB, which is the core pol III initiation factor by virtue of its role in recruiting pol III to the transcriptional start site and its essential roles in forming the transcription-ready open promoter complex. Certain relatively recent developments are also selected for brief comment: (i) the genome-wide analysis of occupancy of pol III-transcribed genes (and other loci) by the transcription apparatus and the location of pol III transcription in the cell; (ii) progress toward a mechanistic and molecular understanding of the regulation of transcription by pol III in yeast; and (iii) recent experiments identifying a high mobility group protein as a fidelity factor that assures selection of the precise transcriptional start site at certain pol III promoters.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 5587-5599 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Kassavetis ◽  
Ashok Kumar ◽  
Enrique Ramirez ◽  
E. Peter Geiduschek

ABSTRACT Brf is the TFIIB-related component of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA polymerase III transcription initiation factor IIIB (TFIIIB). An extensive set of Brf fragments has been examined for the abilities to assemble the TFIIIB-DNA complex and recruit RNA polymerase III to accurately initiate transcription. The principal TFIIIB-assembly function of Brf was found to be contributed by a C-proximal segment spanning amino acids 435 to 545, while the principal transcription-directing function was contributed by a segment of its N-proximal, TFIIB-homologous half. The diverse activities of Brf were also reconstituted from combined fragments. The fragments spanning amino acids 1 to 282 and 284 to 596 were found to assemble into TFIIIB-DNA and TFIIIC-TFIIIB-DNA complexes that were very stable, transcriptionally highly active, and indistinguishable (by in vitro footprinting) from complexes formed with intact Brf. The proximities of the individual halves of split Brf to DNA were extensively mapped by photochemical cross-linking of the TFIIIB-DNA complex. We also identified sites of interaction of Brf fragments with TATA-binding protein (TBP), taking advantage of a recently completed mutational analysis of the TBP surface. The constraints established by these analyses specify a global model of the functional segments of Brf and how they fit into the structure of the TFIIIB-DNA complex.


1991 ◽  
Vol 266 (34) ◽  
pp. 22796-22799
Author(s):  
G.J. Hannon ◽  
A. Chubb ◽  
P.A. Maroney ◽  
G. Hannon ◽  
S. Altman ◽  
...  

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.


2004 ◽  
Vol 279 (31) ◽  
pp. 32401-32406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane E. Alexander ◽  
David J. Kaczorowski ◽  
Amy J. Jackson-Fisher ◽  
Drew M. Lowery ◽  
Sara J. Zanton ◽  
...  

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.


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