scholarly journals Human Mediator Enhances Activator-Facilitated Recruitment of RNA Polymerase II and Promoter Recognition by TATA-Binding Protein (TBP) Independently of TBP-Associated Factors

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (17) ◽  
pp. 6229-6242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shwu-Yuan Wu ◽  
Tianyuan Zhou ◽  
Cheng-Ming Chiang

ABSTRACT Mediator is a general cofactor implicated in the functions of many transcriptional activators. Although Mediator with different protein compositions has been isolated, it remains unclear how Mediator facilitates activator-dependent transcription, independent of its general stimulation of basal transcription. To define the mechanisms of Mediator function, we isolated two forms of human Mediator complexes (Mediator-P.5 and Mediator-P.85) and demonstrated that Mediator-P.5 clearly functions by enhancing activator-mediated recruitment of RNA polymerase II (pol II), whereas Mediator-P.85 works mainly by stimulating overall basal transcription. The coactivator function of Mediator-P.5 was not impaired when TATA-binding protein (TBP) was used in place of TFIID, but it was abolished when another general cofactor, PC4, was omitted from the reaction or when Mediator-P.5 was added after pol II entry into the preinitiation complex. Moreover, Mediator- P.5 is able to enhance TBP binding to the TATA box in an activator-dependent manner. Our data provides biochemical evidence that Mediator functions by facilitating activator-mediated recruitment of pol II and also promoter recognition by TBP, both of which can occur in the absence of TBP-associated factors in TFIID.

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 2886-2896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arindam Dasgupta ◽  
Rebekka O. Sprouse ◽  
Sarah French ◽  
Pavel Aprikian ◽  
Robert Hontz ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mot1 is an essential, conserved, TATA-binding protein (TBP)-associated factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with well-established roles in the global control of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription. Previous results have suggested that Mot1 functions exclusively in Pol II transcription, but here we report a novel role for Mot1 in regulating transcription by RNA polymerase I (Pol I). In vivo, Mot1 is associated with the ribosomal DNA, and loss of Mot1 results in decreased rRNA synthesis. Consistent with a direct role for Mot1 in Pol I transcription, Mot1 also associates with the Pol I promoter in vitro in a reaction that depends on components of the Pol I general transcription machinery. Remarkably, in addition to Mot1's role in initiation, rRNA processing is delayed in mot1 cells. Taken together, these results support a model in which Mot1 affects the rate and efficiency of rRNA synthesis by both direct and indirect mechanisms, with resulting effects on transcription activation and the coupling of rRNA synthesis to processing.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 4104-4117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongfang Qiu ◽  
Cuihua Hu ◽  
Sungpil Yoon ◽  
Krishnamurthy Natarajan ◽  
Mark J. Swanson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Wild-type transcriptional activation by Gcn4p is dependent on multiple coactivators, including SAGA, SWI/SNF, Srb mediator, CCR4-NOT, and RSC, which are all recruited by Gcn4p to its target promoters in vivo. It was not known whether these coactivators are required for assembly of the preinitiation complex (PIC) or for subsequent steps in the initiation or elongation phase of transcription. We find that mutations in subunits of these coactivators reduce the recruitment of TATA binding protein (TBP) and RNA polymerase II (Pol II) by Gcn4p at ARG1, ARG4, and SNZ1, implicating all five coactivators in PIC assembly at Gcn4p target genes. Recruitment of Pol II at SNZ1 and ARG1 was eliminated by mutations in TBP or by deletion of the TATA box, indicating that TBP binding is a prerequisite for Pol II recruitment by Gcn4p. However, several mutations in SAGA subunits and deletion of SRB10 had a greater impact on promoter occupancy of Pol II versus TBP, suggesting that SAGA and Srb mediator can promote Pol II binding independently of their stimulatory effects on TBP recruitment. Our results reveal an unexpected complexity in the cofactor requirements for the enhancement of PIC assembly by a single activator protein.


2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (22) ◽  
pp. 8323-8333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul B. Mason ◽  
Kevin Struhl

ABSTRACT The FACT complex facilitates transcription on chromatin templates in vitro, and it has been functionally linked to nucleosomes and putative RNA polymerase II (Pol II) elongation factors. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, FACT specifically associates with active Pol II genes in a TFIIH-dependent manner and travels across the gene with elongating Pol II. Conditional inactivation of the FACT subunit Spt16 results in increased Pol II density, transcription, and TATA-binding protein (TBP) occupancy in the 3′ portion of certain coding regions, indicating that FACT suppresses inappropriate initiation from cryptic promoters within coding regions. Conversely, loss of Spt16 activity reduces the association of TBP, TFIIB, and Pol II with normal promoters. Thus, FACT is required for wild-type cells to restrict initiation to normal promoters, thereby ensuring that only appropriate mRNAs are synthesized. We suggest that FACT contributes to the fidelity of Pol II transcription by linking the processes of initiation and elongation.


1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 2973-2984 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Weis ◽  
D Reinberg

Two promoter elements, the TATA element and initiator (Inr), are capable of directing specific transcription initiation of protein-encoding genes by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Although binding to the TATA element by the TATA-binding protein (TBP) has been shown to be the initial recognition step in transcription complex formation in vitro, the mechanism through which the basal machinery assembles into a functional complex on TATA-less promoters is controversial. Evidence supporting numerous models of Inr-mediated transcription complex formation exists, including the nucleation of a complex by Inr-binding proteins, a component of the TFIID complex, or a specific upstream activator common to many TATA-less promoters, Sp1. Using various techniques, we have undertaken a systematic analysis of the natural TATA-less human DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) gene promoter. Although the beta-pol promoter contains upstream Sp1 elements and a functional Inr that binds YY1, neither of these factors is essential for Inr-mediated transcription complex formation. A complex containing TBP, TFIIB, TFIIF, and RNAPII (DBPolF complex) is capable of forming on the promoter in an Inr-dependent manner. A single point mutation within the Inr that affects DBPolF complex formation diminishes beta-pol transcriptional activity.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 7546-7555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorjbal Dorjsuren ◽  
Yong Lin ◽  
Wenxiang Wei ◽  
Tatsuya Yamashita ◽  
Takahiro Nomura ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT To modulate transcription, regulatory factors communicate with basal transcription factors and/or RNA polymerases in a variety of ways. Previously, it has been reported that RNA polymerase II subunit 5 (RPB5) is one of the targets of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) and that both HBx and RPB5 specifically interact with general transcription factor IIB (TFIIB), implying that RPB5 is one of the communicating subunits of RNA polymerase II involved in transcriptional regulation. In this context, we screened for a host protein(s) that interacts with RPB5. By far-Western blot screening, we cloned a novel gene encoding a 508-amino-acid-residue RPB5-binding protein from a HepG2 cDNA library and designated it RPB5-mediating protein (RMP). Expression of RMP mRNA was detected ubiquitously in various tissues. Bacterially expressed recombinant RMP strongly bound RPB5 but neither HBx nor TATA-binding protein in vitro. Endogenous RMP was immunologically detected interacting with assembled RPB5 in RNA polymerase in mammalian cells. The central part of RMP is responsible for RPB5 binding, and the RMP-binding region covers both the TFIIB- and HBx-binding sites of RPB5. Overexpression of RMP, but not mutant RMP lacking the RPB5-binding region, inhibited HBx transactivation of reporters with different HBx-responsive cis elements in transiently transfected cells. The repression by RMP was counteracted by HBx in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, RMP has an inhibitory effect on transcriptional activation by VP16 in the absence of HBx. These results suggest that RMP negatively modulates RNA polymerase II function by binding to RPB5 and that HBx counteracts the negative role of RMP on transcription indirectly by interacting with RPB5.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (11) ◽  
pp. E2538-E2545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Celine Walmacq ◽  
Jenny Chong ◽  
Mikhail Kashlev ◽  
Dong Wang

Abasic sites are among the most abundant DNA lesions and interfere with DNA replication and transcription, but the mechanism of their action on transcription remains unknown. Here we applied a combined structural and biochemical approach for a comprehensive investigation of how RNA polymerase II (Pol II) processes an abasic site, leading to slow bypass of lesion. Encounter of Pol II with an abasic site involves two consecutive slow steps: insertion of adenine opposite a noninstructive abasic site (the A-rule), followed by extension of the 3′-rAMP with the next cognate nucleotide. Further studies provided structural insights into the A-rule: ATP is slowly incorporated into RNA in the absence of template guidance. Our structure revealed that ATP is bound to the Pol II active site, whereas the abasic site is located at an intermediate state above the Bridge Helix, a conserved structural motif that is cirtical for Pol II activity. The next extension step occurs in a template-dependent manner where a cognate substrate is incorporated, despite at a much slower rate compared with nondamaged template. During the extension step, neither the cognate substrate nor the template base is located at the canonical position, providing a structural explanation as to why this step is as slow as the insertion step. Taken together, our studies provide a comprehensive understanding of Pol II stalling and bypass of the abasic site in the DNA template.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document