The C-terminal Repeat Domain of RNA Polymerase II Largest Subunit is Essential in Vivo but is Not Required for Accurate Transcription Initiation in Vitro

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 1988 Jun 1

PMID 3131761

Citations 77

Authors

W A Zehring

J M Lee

J R Weeks

R S Jokerst

A L Greenleaf

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

DNA sequence analysis of RpII215, the gene that encodes the Mr215,000 subunit of RNA polymerase II (EC 2.7.7.6) in Drosophila melanogaster, reveals that the 3'-terminal exon includes a region encoding a C-terminal domain composed of 42 repeats of a seven-residue amino acid consensus sequence, Tyr-Ser-Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser. A hemi- and homozygous lethal P-element insertion into the coding sequence of this domain causes premature translation termination and therefore truncation of the protein, leaving only 20 heptamer repeats. While loss of approximately 50% of the repeat structure in this mutant is a lethal event in vivo, enzyme containing the truncated subunit remains capable of accurate initiation at promoters in vitro. Moreover, treatment of purified intact RNA polymerase II with protease, to remove the entire repeat domain, does not eliminate the enzyme's ability to initiate accurately in vitro. Possible in vivo functions for this unusual protein domain are considered in light of these results.

Citing Articles

Defining gene ends: RNA polymerase II CTD threonine 4 phosphorylation marks transcription termination regions genome-wide.

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PMID: 39718990 PMC: 11754735. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae1240.

Mechanisms and Functions of the RNA Polymerase II General Transcription Machinery during the Transcription Cycle.

Archuleta S, Goodrich J, Kugel J Biomolecules. 2024; 14(2).

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Causes and consequences of RNA polymerase II stalling during transcript elongation.

Noe Gonzalez M, Blears D, Svejstrup J Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2020; 22(1):3-21.

PMID: 33208928 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-020-00308-8.

The CTD Is Not Essential for the Post-Initiation Control of RNA Polymerase II Activity.

Gerber A, Roeder R J Mol Biol. 2020; 432(19):5489-5498.

PMID: 32707132 PMC: 7502503. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.07.010.

Gene-Specific Control of tRNA Expression by RNA Polymerase II.

Gerber A, Ito K, Chu C, Roeder R Mol Cell. 2020; 78(4):765-778.e7.

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