TFIIF-TAF-RNA polymerase II connection

Identification of native complexes containing the yeast coactivator/repressor proteins NGG1/ADA3 and ADA2

NGG1p/ADA3p and ADA2p are dual function regulators that stimulate or inhibit a set of yeast transcriptional activator proteins. In vitro, NGG1p and ADA2p associate in a complex that also contains GCN5p (Horiuchi, J., Silverman, N., Marcus, G. A., and Guarente, L. (1995) Mol. Cell. Biol. 15, 1203-1209). We have found that NGG1p and ADA2p are coimmunoprecipitated from yeast whole cell extracts. In fact, <2% of cellular ADA2p was not associated with NGG1p. Also in agreement with their association in vivo, the stability of ADA2p and NGG1p depended on the presence of each other. In addition, three NGG1p- and ADA2p-containing peak fractions were resolved by Q-Sepharose Fast Flow ion-exchange chromatography of whole cell extract. The presence of another high molecular mass complex was supported by the separation of one of the NGG1p- and ADA2p-containing peak fractions by gel-filtration chromatography. Together, the combination of ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography suggests a total of four complexes, two with sizes of >2 MDa and single complexes of approximately 900 and 200 kDa. At least one of these complexes was found to associate with the TATA-binding protein (TBP) since TBP was present in immunoprecipitates with NGG1p. The association of TBP with the ADA proteins required amino acids 274-307 of NGG1p, a region of NGG1p required for activity. This supports a role for NGG1p in the interaction with TBP and suggests that the interaction with TBP is functionally relevant.

Purification and characterization of an RNA polymerase II phosphatase from yeast

RNA polymerase (RNAP) II is subject to extensive phosphorylation on the heptapeptide repeats of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit. An activity that is required for the dephosphorylation of yeast RNAP II in vitro has been purified from a yeast whole cell extract by >30,000-fold. The yeast CTD phosphatase activity copurified with two bands with apparent molecular masses of 100 and 103 kDa. The properties of the yeast CTD phosphatase are similar to those of a previously characterized CTD phosphatase from HeLa cells. These properties include stimulation by the general transcription factor IIF (TFIIF), competitive inhibition by RNAP II, magnesium dependence, and resistance to okadaic acid. Both the HeLa and yeast CTD phosphatases are highly specific for their cognate polymerases. Neither phosphatase functions upon the polymerase molecule from the other species, even though the heptapeptide repeats of the CTDs in yeast RNAP II and mammalian RNAP II are essentially identical. The activity of the highly purified CTD phosphatase is stimulated >300-fold by a partially purified fraction of TFIIF. Recombinant TFIIF did not substitute for the TFIIF fraction, indicating that an additional factor present in the TFIIF fraction is required for CTD phosphatase activity. These results show that yeast contains a CTD phosphatase activity similar to that of mammalian cells that is likely composed of at least two components, one of which is 100 and/or 103 kDa.

A yeast transcriptional stimulatory protein similar to human PC4

A yeast protein has been identified that stimulates basal transcription by RNA polymerase II, binds both single- and double-stranded DNA, and interacts with both a general transcription factor and a transcriptional activator. Phosphorylation appears to regulate these interactions. The gene for the transcriptional stimulatory protein, termed TSP1, was cloned and found to be dispensable for yeast cell viability. The deduced amino acid sequence is similar to that of mammalian coactivator protein PC4.

Essential role of Swp73p in the function of yeast Swi/Snf complex

Swi/Snf protein was purified previously from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an 11-polypeptide complex, including five novel Swp polypeptides. Here we present evidence concerning the role of Swp73p in the function of the complex. Deletion mutants in the SWP73 gene display phenotypes similar to those of swi and snf mutants, and in addition are temperature-sensitive. Swp73p is required for transcriptional activation by full-length glucocorticoid receptor (GR), but not by all GR derivatives. Swp73p is also required for activation with an enhancer element that binds the transcription factors Swi5p and Pho2p, which may underlie the defects in HO expression observed with swi and snf mutants. A single amino acid change in the protein confers phenotypes that are similar to those observed in the swp73 delta strain, but in some cases the two strains behave differently. The extent to which Swp73p is required for assisting transcriptional activation depends on the activator and promoter tested. Homologs of SWP73 are present in S. cerevisiae, Ashbya gossypii, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mice, indicating that SWP73 may belong to a family of related genes encoding proteins with analogous functions.

A minimal set of RNA polymerase II transcription protein interactions

All pairwise interactions of RNA polymerase II and general transcription factors (TF) IIB, E, F, and H have been quantitated by surface plasmon resonance with the use of a Ni2+ chelate on the sensor surface where necessary to attain higher sensitivity. Only 4 of 10 possible interactions were found above the detection limit: TFIIB, -E, and -F binding to RNA polymerase II and TFIIE binding to TFIIH. These four interactions constitute a minimal set for the formation of a transcription initiation complex and may represent the primary interactions involved in assembly of the complex. Point mutations in TFIIB that alter the location of transcription start sites in vivo markedly diminished the affinity of TFIIB binding to RNA polymerase II. Protein blotting revealed an interaction between the largest subunit of TFIIE and third largest subunit of TFIIH, which may be responsible for TFIIE binding to TFIIH.

Functional interaction between TFIIB and the Rpb9 (Ssu73) subunit of RNA polymerase II in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Recessive mutations in the SSU71, SSU72 and SSU73 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were identified as either suppressors or enhancers of a TFIIB defect (sua7-1) that confers both a cold-sensitive growth phenotype and a downstream shift in transcription start site selection. The SSU71 (TFG1) gene encodes the largest subunit of TFIIF and SSU72 encodes a novel protein that is essential for cell viability. Here we report that SSU73 is identical to RPB9, the gene encoding the 14.2 kDa subunit of RNA polymerase II. The ssu73-1 suppressor compensates for both the growth defect and the downstream shift in start site selection associated with sua7-1. These effects are similar to those of the ssu71-1 suppressor and distinct from the ssu72-1 enhancer. The ssu73-1 allele was retrieved and sequenced, revealing a nonsense mutation at codon 107. Consequently, ssu73-1 encodes a truncated form of Rpb9 lacking the C-terminal 16 amino acids. This Rpb9 derivative retains at least partial function since the ssu73-1 mutant exhibits none of the growth defects associated with rpb9 null mutants. However, in a SUA7+ background, ssu73-1 confers the same upstream shift at ADH1 as an rpb9 null allele. This suggests that the C-terminus of Rpb9 functions in start site selection and demonstrates that the previously observed effects of rpb9 mutations on start site selection are not necessarily due to complete loss of function. These results establish a functional interaction between TFIIB and the Rpb9 subunit of RNA polymerase II and suggest that these two components of the preinitiation complex interact during transcription start site selection.

TFG/TAF30/ANC1, a component of the yeast SWI/SNF complex that is similar to the leukemogenic proteins ENL and AF-9

The SWI1/ADR6, SWI2/SNF2, SWI3, SNF5, and SNF6 gene products are all required for proper transcriptional control of many genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetic studies indicated that these gene products might form a multiprotein SWI/SNF complex important for chromatin transitions preceding transcription from RNA polymerase II promoters. Biochemical studies identified a SWI/SNF complex containing these and at least six additional polypeptides. Here we show that the 29-kDa component of the SWI/SNF complex is identical to TFG3/TAF30/ANC1. Thus, a component of the SWI/SNF complex is also a member of the TFIIF and TFIID transcription complexes. TFG3 interacted with the SNF5 component of the SWI/SNF complex in protein interaction blots. TFG3 is significantly similar to ENL and AF-9, two proteins implicated in human acute leukemia. These results suggest that ENL and AF-9 proteins interact with the SNF5 component of the human SWI/SNF complex and raise the possibility that the SWI/SNF complex is involved in acute leukemia.

Isolation and characterization of TAF25, an essential yeast gene that encodes an RNA polymerase II-specific TATA-binding protein-associated factor

We describe the cloning and analysis of TAF25, a previously uncharacterized yeast gene that encodes a yeast TATA-binding protein-associated factor or yTAF of Mr = 25,000. The gene encoding yTAF25 is a single copy essential gene, and the protein sequence deduced from TAF25 exhibits sequence similarity to a metazoan hTAFII. The results from immunological studies confirm that yTAF25 is a subunit of a large multiprotein TATA-binding protein-yeast TATA-binding protein-associated factor complex that contains a subset of the total number of the yTAFs present in yeast cell extracts. Both genetic and biochemical analyses demonstrate that yTAF25 can interact directly with itself. Transcriptional data show that the activity of the multiprotein complex containing yTAF25 is RNA polymerase II-specific, thus indicating that TAF25 encodes a bona fide yeast RNA polymerase II TAF. Hence the protein encoded by TAF25 has been termed yTAFII25.

Mechanisms of transcription complex assembly

Gene-specific activators control the access of RNA polymerase II (pol II) to promoters in several ways: by chromatin rearrangement involving an ATP-dependent SWI-SNF complex; by the synergistic recruitment of transcription factor IID (TFIID); and by either the sequential recruitment of basal transcription factors and pol II or the recruitment of a preformed pol II holoenzyme which includes most of the basal factors. One of the most significant recent developments has been the demonstration that distinct subunits of TFIID (namely subunits of the TATA-binding protein associated factor) target different activators, basal factors, and core promoter elements.

Two-dimensional crystallography of TFIIB- and IIE-RNA polymerase II complexes: implications for start site selection and initiation complex formation

SUMMARY

Transcription factors IIB (TFIIB) and IIE (TFIIE) bound to RNA polymerase II have been revealed by electron crystallography in projection at 15.7 A resolution. The results lead to simple hypotheses for the roles of these factors in the initiation of transcription. TFIIB is suggested to define the distance from TATA box to transcription start site by bringing TATA DNA in contact with polymerase at that distance from the active center of the enzyme. TFIIE is suggested to participate in a key conformational switch occurring at the active center upon polymerase-DNA interaction.

Epigenetic effects on yeast transcription caused by mutations in an actin-related protein present in the nucleus

Gene inactivation can result when a delta element of the Ty1 transposon inserted into the yeast HIS4 promoter (his4-912delta) alters the transcription initiation site. Previous work has identified mutations that suppress this transcriptional defect by restoring the transcription start site to the native position, and these mutations have been implicated in transcriptional regulation and chromatin structure. We show that in a sin4 mutant such suppression is incompletely penetrant, such that genetically identical yeast cells (sin4 his4-912delta) show either of two distinct phenotypic states, His+ or His-. To study this type of potential epigenetic control of gene expression, we constructed a strain with ADE2 expression under the control of the his4-912delta promoter, as colony color provides a convenient assay for ADE2 expression. We isolated mutations in the ACT3 gene that show variegated expression of this ADE2 reporter. The act3 his4delta-ADE2 colonies display both white and red sectors, showing that the two different phenotypes are possible in a single colony. The two phenotypic states can be inherited during clonal growth, yet are reversible. Analysis of RNA isolated from individual colonies of either red or white color demonstrates that it is the state of the promoter, as either On or Off, that is inherited and is responsible for the colony color. An act3 mutation also affects expression of the HIS4 and LYS2 genes; thus, Act3p is not a delta element-specific transcriptional regulator. Immunofluorescence microscopy experiments demonstrate that the Act3p protein is present in the nucleus. Act3p shows clear homology to actin, and possible roles for an actin-related protein in transcription are discussed.

Functional domains of human RAP74 including a masked polymerase binding domain

RAP74, the large subunit of human transcription factor IIF (TFIIF), has been analyzed by deletion mutagenesis and in vitro assays to map functional domains. Tight binding to the RAP30 subunit involves amino acids between positions 1-172. Amino acids 1-205 are minimally sufficient to stimulate accurate transcription from the adenovirus major late promoter in an extract system, although C-terminal sequences contribute to activity. A partially masked RNA polymerase II binding domain has been mapped to the C-terminal region of the protein (amino acids 363-444). Sequences near the N terminus and within the central portion of RAP74 affect accessibility of this domain. Extending this domain to 363-486 creates a peptide that binds polymerase and DNA and inhibits transcription initiation in vitro from non-promoter DNA sites. This larger C-terminal domain may modify polymerase interaction with template during initiation and/or elongation of RNA chains.

A novel activity associated with RNA polymerase II elongation factor SIII. SIII directs promoter-independent transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II in the absence of initiation factors

General transcription factor SIII, a heterotrimer of 110-, 18-, and 15-kDa subunits, was shown previously to stimulate the overall rate of RNA chain elongation by RNA polymerase II by suppressing transient pausing by polymerase at many sites along DNA templates (Bradsher, J. N., Jackson, K. W., Conaway, R. C., and Conaway, J. W. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 25587-25593). In this report, SIII is shown to possesses the novel ability to direct robust but promiscuous transcription by RNA polymerase II on duplex DNA templates in the absence of initiation factors. Mechanistic studies reveal that SIII promotes RNA synthesis by substantially increasing the efficiency with which RNA polymerase II initiates promoter-independent transcription from the ends of duplex DNA. Remarkably, SIII appears to have a negligible effect on de novo synthesis of end-to-end transcripts. Instead, analysis of reaction products indicates that SIII is capable of promoting a dramatic increase in the ability of RNA polymerase II to extend the 3'-hydroxyl termini of duplex DNA fragments, in a template-directed reaction exhibiting no strong preference for 3'-protruding, 3'-recessed, or blunt DNA ends. Although RNA polymerase II has been shown previously to catalyze primer-dependent transcription, SIII is the first eukaryotic transcription factor found to promote this reaction. Based on these findings, we propose that SIII may suppress transient pausing by RNA polymerase II by helping to maintain the 3'-hydroxyl terminus of the nascent RNA chain in its proper position in the polymerase active site.

Elongin (SIII): a multisubunit regulator of elongation by RNA polymerase II

The Elongin (SIII) complex activates elongation by mammalian RNA polymerase II by suppressing transient pausing of the polymerase at many sites within transcription units. Elongin is a heterotrimer composed of A, B, and C subunits of 110, 18, and 15 kilodaltons, respectively. Here, the mammalian Elongin A gene was isolated and expressed, and the Elongin (SIII) complex reconstituted with recombinant subunits. Elongin A is shown to function as the transcriptionally active component of Elongin (SIII) and Elongin B and C as regulatory subunits. Whereas Elongin C assembles with Elongin A to form an AC complex with increased specific activity, Elongin B, a member of the ubiquitin-homology gene family, appears to serve a chaperone-like function, facilitating assembly and enhancing stability of the Elongin (SIII) complex.

Identification and characterization of a TFIID-like multiprotein complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Although the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation by RNA polymerase II are apparently highly conserved from yeast to man, the identification of a yeast TATA-binding protein (TBP)-TBP-associated factor (TAFII) complex comparable to the metazoan TFIID component of the basal transcriptional machinery has remained elusive. Here, we report the isolation of a yeast TBP-TAFII complex which can mediate transcriptional activation by GAL4-VP16 in a highly purified yeast in vitro transcription system. We have cloned and sequenced the genes encoding four of the multiple yeast TAFII proteins comprising the TBP-TAFII multisubunit complex and find that they are similar at the amino acid level to both human and Drosophila TFIID subunits. Using epitope-tagging and immunoprecipitation experiments, we demonstrate that these genes encode bona fide TAF proteins and show that the yeast TBP-TAFII complex is minimally composed of TBP and seven distinct yTAFII proteins ranging in size from M(r) = 150,000 to M(r) = 25,000. In addition, by constructing null alleles of the cloned TAF-encoding genes, we show that normal function of the TAF-encoding genes is essential for yeast cell viability.

Positive regulation of general transcription factor SIII by a tailed ubiquitin homolog

General transcription factor SIII, a heterotrimer composed of 110-kDa (p110), 18-kDa (p18), and 15-kDa (p15) subunits, increases the catalytic rate of transcribing RNA polymerase II by suppressing transient pausing by polymerase at multiple sites on DNA templates. Here we report molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of the SIII p18 subunit, which is found to be a member of the ubiquitin homology (UbH) gene family and functions as a positive regulatory subunit of SIII. p18 is a 118-amino acid protein composed of an 84-residue N-terminal UbH domain fused to a 34-residue C-terminal tail. Mechanistic studies indicate that p18 activates SIII transcriptional activity above a basal level inherent in the SIII p110 and p15 subunits. Taken together, these findings establish a role for p18 in regulating the activity of the RNA polymerase II elongation complex, and they bring to light a function for a UbH domain protein in transcriptional regulation.

Dissection of transcription factor TFIIF functional domains required for initiation and elongation

TFIIF is unique among the general transcription factors because of its ability to control the activity of RNA polymerase II at both the initiation and elongation stages of transcription. Mammalian TFIIF, a heterodimer of approximately 30-kDa (RAP30) and approximately 70-kDa (RAP74) subunits, assists TFIIB in recruiting RNA polymerase II into the preinitiation complex and activates the overall rate of RNA chain elongation by suppressing transient pausing by polymerase at many sites on DNA templates. A major objective of efforts to understand how TFIIF regulates transcription has been to establish the relationship between its initiation and elongation activities. Here we establish this relationship by demonstrating that TFIIF transcriptional activities are mediated by separable functional domains. To accomplish this, we sought and identified distinct classes of RAP30 mutations that selectively block TFIIF activity in transcription initiation and elongation. We propose that (i) TFIIF initiation activity is mediated at least in part by RAP30 C-terminal sequences that include a cryptic DNA-binding domain similar to conserved region 4 of bacterial sigma factors and (ii) TFIIF elongation activity is mediated in part by RAP30 sequences located immediately upstream of the C terminus in a region proposed to bind RNA polymerase II and by additional sequences located in the RAP30 N terminus.

Interplay between chromatin structure and transcription

Research on the interplay between chromatin and transcription has progressed along three lines during the past year. Evidence has been reported for disruption of nucleosomes by transcriptional regulatory proteins in cell-free systems; displacement of the histone octamer during transcription has been conclusively demonstrated; and insights into transcriptional repression by heterochromatin have been gained from studies of silent mating loci and telomeres in yeast.

News on initiation and elongation of transcription by RNA polymerase II

Transcription by RNA polymerase II is a complex process that requires additional factors to initiate transcription at the promoters. New developments in the past year have furthered our understanding of the functions of the transcription factors and provided more insights into the mechanisms involved in the regulation of initiation and elongation of transcription. One of the most significant advances of the past year was the discovery of the involvement of the general transcription factor TFIIH in DNA excision repair. Surprisingly, studies aimed at identifying the kinase activity within TFIIH responsible for phosphorylating the carboxy-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II revealed it to be the MO15/Cdk7 kinase and its partner, cyclin H. These exciting observations suggest a paradigm for linking transcription, DNA excision repair and cell cycle progression through one pivotal factor.

Identification of the gene (SSU71/TFG1) encoding the largest subunit of transcription factor TFIIF as a suppressor of a TFIIB mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mutations in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSU71 gene were isolated as suppressors of a transcription factor TFIIB defect that confers both a cold-sensitive growth defect and a downstream shift in transcription start-site selection at the cyc1 locus. The ssu71-1 suppressor not only suppresses the conditional phenotype but also restores the normal pattern of transcription initiation at cyc1. In addition, the ssu71-1 suppressor confers a heat-sensitive phenotype that is dependent upon the presence of the defective form of TFIIB. Molecular and genetic analysis of the cloned SSU71 gene demonstrated that SSU71 is a single-copy essential gene encoding a highly charged protein with a molecular mass of 82,194 daltons. Comparison of the deduced Ssu71 amino acid sequence with the protein data banks revealed significant similarity to RAP74, the larger subunit of the human general transcription factor TFIIF. Moreover, Ssu71 is identical to p105, a component of yeast TFIIF. Taken together, these data demonstrate a functional interaction between TFIIB and the large subunit of TFIIF and that this interaction can affect start-site selection in vivo.

Relationship of CDK-activating kinase and RNA polymerase II CTD kinase TFIIH/TFIIK

KIN28, a member of the p34cdc2/CDC28 family of protein kinases, is identified as a subunit of yeast RNA polymerase transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) on the basis of sequence determination, immunological reactivity, and copurification. KIN28 is, moreover, one of three subunits of TFIIK, a subassembly of TFIIH with protein kinase activity directed toward the C-terminal repeat domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. Itself a phosphoprotein, KIN28 interacts specifically with the two largest subunits of RNA polymerase II. Previous work of others points to two further associations: KIN28 interacts in vivo with the cyclin CCL1, and KIN28 and CCL1 are homologous to human MO15 and cyclin H, which form the cyclin-dependent kinase-activating kinase (CAK). We show that human CAK possesses the CTD kinase activity characteristic of TFIIH.