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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

A receptor-like flagellar pocket glycoprotein specific to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense.

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense are protozoan parasites causing sleeping sickness in humans due to their resistance to lysis by normal human serum (NHS). Based on the observation that the resistance gene of T. b. rhodesiense encodes a truncated form of the variant specific glycoprotein (VSG), we cloned a similar gene in T. b. gambiense using reverse transcription-linked polymerase chain reaction with VSG-specific primers. This gene, termed TgsGP for T. gambiense-specific glycoprotein, was found to be specific to T. b. gambiense. It is located close to a telomere and is transcribed by a pol II RNA polymerase, only at the bloodstream stage of the parasite development. TgsGP encodes a 47-kDa protein consisting of a N-terminal VSG domain presumably provided with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor sequence, similar to the pESAG6 subunit of the trypanosomal transferrin receptor. TgsGP is located in the flagellar pocket, and contains the linear N-linked polyacetyllactosamine characteristic of the endocytotic machinery of T. brucei. These observations strongly suggest that TgsGP is a T. b. gambiense specific receptor. Since stable expression of this protein in T. b. brucei did not confer resistance to NHS, TgsGP may either need another factor to achieve this purpose or fulfils another function linked to adaptation of the parasite to man.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Reconstitution of the transcription factor TFIIH: assignment of functions for the three enzymatic subunits, XPB, XPD, and cdk7.

To understand the initiation of the transcription of protein-coding genes, we have dissected the role of the basal transcription/DNA repair factor TFIIH. Having succeeded in reconstituting a functionally active TFIIH from baculovirus recombinant polypeptides, we were able to analyze the role of XPB, XPD, and cdk7 subunits in the transcription reaction. Designing mutated recombinant subunits, we show that the XPB helicase is absolutely required for transcription to open the promoter around the start site whereas the XPD helicase, which is dispensable, stimulates transcription and allows the CAK complex to be anchored to TFIIH. In addition, we also show that cdk7 may phosphorylate the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA pol II in the absence of promoter opening.

Baculoviridae↗
PubMed2000

The ISWI chromatin-remodeling protein is required for gene expression and the maintenance of higher order chromatin structure in vivo.

Drosophila ISWI, a highly conserved member of the SWI2/SNF2 family of ATPases, is the catalytic subunit of three chromatin-remodeling complexes: NURF, CHRAC, and ACF. To clarify the biological functions of ISWI, we generated and characterized null and dominant-negative ISWI mutations. We found that ISWI mutations affect both cell viability and gene expression during Drosophila development. ISWI mutations also cause striking alterations in the structure of the male X chromosome. The ISWI protein does not colocalize with RNA Pol II on salivary gland polytene chromosomes, suggesting a possible role for ISWI in transcriptional repression. These findings reveal novel functions for the ISWI ATPase and underscore its importance in chromatin remodeling in vivo.

Acetylation↗
PubMed2002

BRCA1-dependent and independent functions of BARD1.

Breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1)-associated RING domain (BARD1) was discovered as a protein interacting with the RING domain of BRCA1. It is structurally homologous to BRCA1 with which it shares the conserved RING finger and BRCT domains. BARD1 is strongly expressed in spleen and testis, correlated with the expression of BRCA1. Co-localization of BARD1 with BRCA1 and other repair proteins indicate a function in DNA repair. A potential role of BARD1-BRCA1 complexes in ubiquitination of RNA Pol II, and the interaction of BARD1 with polyadenylation factor CstF-50, thus inhibiting mRNA processing, provide mechanisms for tumor suppression. BRCA1-independent functions of BARD1 were first noted by its inordinate expression in hormonally regulated uterine tissue. BARD1 repression lead to a premalignant phenotype in mammary gland epithelial cells. The interaction of BARD1 with NF-kappaB, suggests modulation of transcriptional activity independent of BRCA1. Elevated BARD1 expression in apoptotic tumor cells was found associated with anti-BARD1 immune response thus leading to new therapeutic approaches.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2001

The defect in transcription-coupled repair displayed by a Saccharomyces cerevisiae rad26 mutant is dependent on carbon source and is not associated with a lack of transcription.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that removes DNA damage induced by ultraviolet irradiation and various chemical agents that cause bulky adducts. Two subpathways within NER remove damage from the genome overall or the transcribed strands of transcribing genes (TCR). TCR is a faster repair process than overall genomic repair and has been thought to require the RAD26 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Rad26 is a member of the SWI/SNF family of proteins that either disrupt chromatin or facilitate interactions between the RNA Pol II and transcription activators. SWI/SNF proteins are required for the expression or repression of a diverse set of genes, many of which are differentially transcribed in response to particular carbon sources. The remodeling of chromatin by Rad26 could affect transcription and/or TCR following formation of DNA damage and other stress-inducing conditions. We speculate that another factor(s) can substitute for Rad26 under particular growth conditions. We therefore measured the level of repair and transcription in two different carbon sources and found that the defect in the rad26 mutant for TCR was dependent on the type of carbon source. Furthermore, TCR did not correlate with transcription rate, suggesting that disruption of RAD26 leads to a specific defect in DNA repair and not transcription.

Carbon↗
PubMed1999

DNA repair of pyrimidine dimers and 6-4 photoproducts in the ribosomal DNA.

The nucleolus is a unique structural component of interphase nuclei where the ribosomal genes, trans-cribed by RNA polymerase I (RNA pol I), are organized. In the present study, the repair of UV-induced photolesions was investigated in the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in relation to RNA pol I transcription. We used hamster cells because their repair phenotype permits the separate analysis of the major photo-products induced by UV light. Immunofluorescent labeling of UV-induced DNA repair and transcription sites showed that the nucleolar regions were defic-ient in DNA repair despite the presence of abundant RNA pol I transcription foci. Immunological staining indicated that various NER proteins, including TFIIH (subunits p62 and p89), p53, Gadd 45 and prolifer-ating cell nuclear antigen are all enriched in the nuclei but distinctly absent in nucleoli. This lack of enrichment of NER factors in the nucleolus may be responsible for the inefficient repair of photo-products in the rDNA. UV irradiation generates two major photoproducts, the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and the 6-4 photoproducts (6-4 PPs). The repair kinetics of these two lesions were assessed simultaneously by the immunological isolation of bromodeoxyuridine (BudR) containing excision repair patches using an antibody to BudR. We found that the repair of the photolesions was less efficient in the rDNA compared to that of the endo-genous housekeeping gene, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Gene specific repair of each of these two photoproducts was then measured separately in the rDNA and in the DHFR gene, which is transcribed by RNA pol II. The removal of CPDs was deficient in the rDNA as compared to the DHFR gene. On the contrary, 6-4 PPs were removed efficiently from the rDNA although somewhat slower than from the DHFR gene. The relatively efficient repair of 6-4 PPs in the rDNA is consistent with the notion that the 6-4 PPs are repaired efficiently in different genomic regions by the global genome repair pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Heterochromatic silencing of Drosophila heat shock genes acts at the level of promoter potentiation.

In a variety of organisms, genes placed near heterochromatin are transcriptionally silenced. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for this block in transcription, high resolution in vivo chromatin structure analysis was performed on two heat shock genes, hsp26 and hsp70. These genes normally reside in euchromatin where GAGA factor and RNA Pol II are present on the promoter prior to heat shock induction. P-element transformation experiments led to the identification of stocks in which these two genes were inserted within heterochromatin of the chromosome 4 telomeric region. These transgenes exhibit silencing that is partially suppressed by mutations in the gene encoding HP1. Micrococcal nuclease analysis revealed that the heterochromatic transgenes were packaged in a more regular nucleosome array than when located in euchromatin. High resolution DNase I analysis demonstrated that GAGA factor and TFIID were not associated with these promoters in heterochromatin; potassium permanganate experiments showed a loss of Pol II association. Taken together, these data suggest that occlusion of trans-acting factors from their cis- acting regulatory elements leading to a block in promoter potentiation is a mechanism for heterochromatin gene silencing.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Positive and negative functions of the SAGA complex mediated through interaction of Spt8 with TBP and the N-terminal domain of TFIIA.

A surface that is required for rapid formation of preinitiation complexes (PICs) was identified on the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the RNA Pol II general transcription factor TFIIA. Site-specific photocross-linkers and tethered protein cleavage reagents positioned on the NTD of TFIIA and assembled in PICs identified the SAGA subunit Spt8 and the TFIID subunit Taf4 as located near this surface. In agreement with these findings, mutations in Spt8 and the TFIIA NTD interact genetically. Using purified proteins, it was found that TFIIA and Spt8 do not stably bind to each other, but rather both compete for binding to TBP. Consistent with this competition, Spt8 inhibits the binding of SAGA to PICs in the absence of activator. In the presence of activator, Spt8 enhances transcription in vitro, and the positive function of the TFIIA NTD is largely mediated through Spt8. Our results suggest a mechanism for the previously observed positive and negative effects of Spt8 on transcription observed in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Activation of mitochondrial pathway is crucial for tumor selective induction of apoptosis by LAQ824.

HDAC inhibitors are promising antitumor drugs with several HDAC inhibitors already in clinical trials. LAQ824, a potent pan-HDAC inhibitor, has been shown to induce cell cycle arrest and cell death. However, the mechanism of its antitumor effects and specially its tumor selectivity are still poorly understood. The focus of this study is to elucidate LAQ824 mediated anti-proliferative effects in lung carcinoma cells and the mechanism underlying the different sensitivity of LAQ824 to cancer and normal cells. In this study, LAQ824 mediated apoptosis was found to occur mainly via activation of the mitochondrial death pathway by inducing Apaf1 and caspase 9 and promoting mitochondrial release of key proapoptotic factors in lung cancer cells, but not in normal fibroblast cells. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we found that RNA Pol II binding and histone H3 acetylation levels at Apaf1 promoter were increased following LAQ824 treatment, explaining LAQ824 induced expression of Apaf1 in lung cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that LAQ824 only triggered the release of mitochondrial proapoptotic factors such as cytochrome C (Cyto C) and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in lung cancer cells but not in normal blast cells. In addition, LAQ824 was found to induce Bax translocation in lung cancer cell, which may play important role in the induction of the release of mitochondrial proapoptotic factors. These data provide insight into the mechanism underlying the selective induction of apoptosis by LAQ824 in cancer cells.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1997

Activities of a lagging DNA strand synthesis of nucleoprotein complexes harboring an extrachromosomal DNA closely related to avian myeloblastosis virus core-bound DNA.

Nucleoprotein (NP) complexes constituting the material of the postmicrosomal sediment (POMS) and its three basic components (A, B, C) (Ríman and Sulová, 1997a), harboring an extrachromosomal DNA closely related to AMV DNA were found to possess DNA- and RNA-synthesizing activities (SAs) reflecting the ability of this material to be intensely labelled for DNA and RNA, respectively. The types of these NA-SAs were compatible with those significant for a lagging DNA strand synthesis (LSS). The use of selective inhibitors and of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) disclosed a successive involvement of alpha DNA polymerase (pol) and PCNA-insensitive delta DNA pol in LSS. In this respect, we show gradual changes in the representation of activities (As) of both mentioned DNA pols in the NP complexes of the individual POMS components. Those of POMS component C contained alpha DNA pol As only, while a distinct portion of DNA SAs of POMS component B was represented on expense of alpha DNA pol As by PCNA-insensitive delta DNA pol (epsilon DNA pol), As which represented practically all the DNA SAs of POMS component A. The type of RNA SAs of this material represented mostly by primase (Pr) As corresponded well with the nature of LSS. An exception was represented by a minor portion of RNA-SAs of POMS component A which was alpha amanitin-sensitive like RNA pol II. Moreover, analyzing this natural model replication system, we found that the carbonyldiphosphonate (COMDP), a selective inhibitor of the PCNA-insensitive delta DNA pol, was a strong activator of Pr-As and/or Pr-alpha DNA pol As of NP complexes of POMS component C.

Aphidicolin↗
PubMed1995

Association of SARFH (sarcoma-associated RNA-binding fly homolog) with regions of chromatin transcribed by RNA polymerase II.

Many oncogenes associated with human sarcomas are composed of a fusion between transcription factors and the N-terminal portions of two similar RNA-binding proteins, TLS and EWS. Though the oncogenic fusion proteins lack the RNA-binding domain and do not bind RNA, the contribution from the N-terminal portion of the RNA-binding protein is essential for their transforming activity. TLS and EWS associate in vivo with RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcripts. To learn more about the target gene specificity of this interaction, the localization of a Drosophila melanogaster protein that has extensive sequence identity to the C-terminal RNA-binding portions of TLS and EWS was studied in preparations of Drosophila polytene nuclei. cDNA clones encoding the full-length Drosophila TLS-EWS homolog, SARFH (stands for sarcoma-associated RNA-binding fly homolog), were isolated. Functional similarity to TLS and EWS was revealed by the association of SARFH with Pol II transcripts in mammalian cells and by the ability of SARFH to elicit homologous down-regulation of the levels of the mammalian proteins. The SARFH gene is expressed in the developing Drosophila embryo from the earliest stages of cellularization and is subsequently found in many cell types. In preparations of polytene chromosomes from salivary gland nuclei, SARFH antibodies recognize their target associated with the majority of active transcription units, revealed by colocalization with the phosphorylated form of RNA Pol II. We conclude that SARFH and, by homology, EWS and TLS participate in a function common to the expression of most genes transcribed by RNA Pol II.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

RNA polymerase II/III transcription specificity determined by TATA box orientation.

The TATA box sequence in eukaryotes is located about 25 bp upstream of many genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and some genes transcribed by RNA polymerase III (Pol III). The TATA box is recognized in a sequence-specific manner by the TATA box-binding protein (TBP), an essential factor involved in the initiation of transcription by all three eukaryotic RNA polymerases. We have investigated the recognition of the TATA box by the Pol II and Pol III basal transcription machinery and its role in establishing the RNA polymerase specificity of the promoter. Artificial templates were constructed that contained a canonical TATA box as the sole promoter element but differed in the orientation of the 8-bp TATA box sequence. As expected, Pol II initiated transcription in unfractionated nuclear extracts downstream of the "forward" TATA box. In distinct contrast, transcription that initiated downstream of the "reverse" TATA box was carried out specifically by Pol III. Importantly, this effect was observed regardless of the source of the DNA either upstream or downstream of the TATA sequence. These findings suggest that TBP may bind in opposite orientations on Pol II and Pol III promoters and that opposite, yet homologous, surfaces of TBP may be utilized by the Pol II and Pol III basal machinery for the initiation of transcription.

Animals↗
PubMed2024

Pause Patrol: Negative Elongation Factor's Role in Promoter-Proximal Pausing and Beyond.

RNA polymerase (Pol) II is highly regulated to ensure appropriate gene expression. Early transcription elongation is associated with transient pausing of RNA Pol II in the promoter-proximal region. In multicellular organisms, this pausing is stabilized by the association of transcription elongation factors DRB-sensitivity inducing factor (DSIF) and Negative Elongation Factor (NELF). DSIF is a broadly conserved transcription elongation factor whereas NELF is mostly restricted to the metazoan lineage. Mounting evidence suggests that NELF association with RNA Pol II serves as checkpoint for either release into rapid and productive transcription elongation or premature termination at promoter-proximal pause sites. Here we summarize NELF's roles in promoter-proximal pausing, transcription termination, DNA repair, and signaling based on decades of cell biological, biochemical, and structural work and describe areas for future research.

Promoter Regions, Genetic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Functional association between viral and cellular transcription during influenza virus infection.

Influenza viruses replicate and transcribe their segmented negative-sense single-stranded RNA genome in the nucleus of the infected host cell. All RNA synthesising activities associated with influenza virus are performed by the virally encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) that consists of three subunits, PA, PB1 and PB2. However, viral transcription is critically dependent on on-going cellular transcription, in particular, on activities associated with the cellular DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Thus, the viral RdRp uses short 5' capped RNA fragments, derived from cellular Pol II transcripts, as primers for viral mRNA synthesis. These capped RNA primers are generated by cleavage of host Pol II transcripts by an endonuclease activity associated with the viral RdRp. Moreover, some viral transcripts require splicing and since influenza virus does not encode splicing machinery, it is dependent on host splicing, an activity also related to Pol II transcription. Despite these functional links between viral and host Pol II transcription, there has been no evidence that a physical association existed between the two transcriptional machineries. However, recently it was reported that there is a physical interaction between the trimeric viral RdRp and cellular Pol II. The viral RdRp was found to interact with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of initiating Pol II, at a stage in the transcription cycle when capping takes place. It was therefore proposed that this interaction may be required for the viral RNA (vRNA) polymerase to gain access to capped RNA substrates for endonucleolytic cleavage. The virus not only relies on cellular factors to support its own RNA synthesis, but also subverts cellular pathways in order to generate an environment optimised for viral multiplication. In this respect, the interaction of the viral NS1 protein with factors involved in cellular pre-mRNA processing is of particular relevance. The virus also alters the distribution of Pol II on cellular genes, leading to a reduction in elongating Pol II thereby contributing to the phenomenon known as host shut-off.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Coupling RNA polymerase II transcription with pre-mRNA processing.

How are transcription and processing of mRNA precursors co-ordinated? The past two years has witnessed exciting insights into the mechanism which targets the mRNA processing machinery to RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription complexes and closely integrates processing with transcription. Protein-protein contacts have been discovered between the pol II transcription machinery and RNA processing factors; furthermore, a unique domain of pol II has been identified that not only recruits processing factors but also controls their activity.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

B2 RNA binds directly to RNA polymerase II to repress transcript synthesis.

B2 RNA is a small noncoding RNA polymerase III transcript that represses mRNA transcription in response to heat shock in mouse cells. Here we define the mechanism by which B2 RNA inhibits RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription. Using a purified Pol II transcription system, we found that B2 RNA potently inhibits transcription by binding to core Pol II with high affinity and specificity. Through this interaction, B2 RNA assembles into preinitiation complexes at the promoter and blocks RNA synthesis. Once B2 RNA is removed from preinitiation complexes, transcriptional activity is restored. Our studies describe a previously unobserved mechanism of transcriptional repression by a small RNA and suggest that B2 RNA associates with Pol II at promoters in heat shocked cells to actively inhibit transcription.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Transcription-dependent polyubiquitination of RNA polymerase II requires lysine 63 of ubiquitin.

Lysine-63-linked polyubiquitin chains are not thought to signal protein degradation but instead signal for a variety of cellular processes including some types of DNA repair. RNA polymerase (Pol) II is polyubiquitinated following DNA damage or upon treatment of nuclear extracts with the transcription inhibitor alpha-amanitin. Here, we report, using a reaction in vitro, that transcription-dependent polyubiquitination of RNA Pol II consists of lysine-63-linked chains. This modification is specific for RNA Pol II engaged in active transcription and arrested by alpha-amanitin.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Transcription of protein-coding genes in trypanosomes by RNA polymerase I.

In eukaryotes, RNA polymerase (pol) II transcribes the protein-coding genes, whereas RNA pol I transcribes the genes that encode the three RNA species of the ribosome [the ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs)] at the nucleolus. Protozoan parasites of the order Kinetoplastida may represent an exception, because pol I can mediate the expression of exogenously introduced protein-coding genes in these single-cell organisms. A unique molecular mechanism, which leads to pre-mRNA maturation by trans-splicing, facilitates pol I-mediated protein-coding gene expression in trypanosomes. Trans-splicing adds a capped 39-nucleotide mini-exon, or spliced leader transcript, to the 5' end of the main coding exon posttranscriptionally. In other eukaryotes, the addition of a 5' cap, which is essential for mRNA function, occurs exclusively as a result of RNA pol II-mediated transcription. Given the assumption that cap addition represents the limiting factor, trans-splicing may have uncoupled the requirement for RNA pol II-mediated mRNA production. A comparison of the alpha-amanitin sensitivity of transcription in naturally occurring trypanosome protein-coding genes reveals that a unique subset of protein-coding genes-the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) expression sites and the procyclin or the procyclic acidic repetitive protein (PARP) genes-are transcribed by an RNA polymerase that is resistant to the mushroom toxin alpha-amanitin, a characteristic of transcription by RNA pol I. Promoter analysis and a pharmacological characterization of the RNA polymerase that transcribes these genes have strengthened the proposal that the VSG expression sites and the PARP genes represent naturally occurring protein-coding genes that are transcribed by RNA pol I.

Amanitins↗