Drosophila TAF(II)230 and the transcriptional activator VP16 bind competitively to the TATA box-binding domain of the TATA box-binding protein

Transcriptional activation is weakened when Taf1p N-terminal domain 1 is substituted with its Drosophila counterpart in yeast TFIID

Transcription factor II D (TFIID), a multiprotein complex consisting of TATA-binding protein (TBP) and 13-14 TBP-associated factors (Tafs), plays a central role in transcription and regulates nearly all class II genes. The N-terminal domain of Taf1p (TAND) can be divided into two subdomains, TAND1 and TAND2, which bind to the concave and convex surfaces of TBP, respectively. The interaction between TAND and TBP is thought to be regulated by TFIIA, activators and/or DNA during transcriptional activation, as the TAND1-bound form of TBP cannot bind to the TATA box. We previously demonstrated that Drosophila TAND1 binds to TBP with a much stronger affinity than yeast TAND1 and that the expression levels of full-length chimeric Taf1p, whose TAND1 is replaced with the Drosophila counterpart, can be varied in vivo by substituting several methionine residues downstream of TAND2 with alanine residues in various combinations. In this study, we examined the transcriptional activation of the GAL1-lacZ reporter or endogenous genes such as RNR3 or GAL1 in yeast cells expressing various levels of full-length chimeric Taf1p. The results showed that the substitution of TAND1 with the Drosophila counterpart in yeast TFIID weakened the transcriptional activation of GAL1-lacZ and RNR3 but not that of GAL1. These findings strongly support a model in which TBP must be released efficiently from TAND1 within TFIID upon transcriptional activation.

TRIC: Capturing the direct cellular targets of promoter-bound transcriptional activators

Transcriptional activators coordinate the dynamic assembly of multiprotein coactivator complexes required for gene expression to occur. Here we combine the power of in vivo covalent chemical capture with p-benzoyl-L-phenylalanine (Bpa), a genetically incorporated photo-crosslinking amino acid, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to capture the direct protein interactions of the transcriptional activator VP16 with the general transcription factor TBP at the GAL1 promoter in live yeast.

TRF2 and the evolution of the bilateria

Kadonaga and colleagues present novel molecular insights into TATA-box-binding protein (TBP) family members and the evolution of complex animal body plans. They demonstrate that the TBP-related factor 2 (TRF2), which activates TATA-less core promoters, first arose in a common ancestor to the bilaterians and hypothesize that this new TRF2-based transcription system facilitated the evolution of bilateria.

The development of a complex body plan requires a diversity of regulatory networks. Here we consider the concept of TATA-box-binding protein (TBP) family proteins as “system factors” that each supports a distinct set of transcriptional programs. For instance, TBP activates TATA-box-dependent core promoters, whereas TBP-related factor 2 (TRF2) activates TATA-less core promoters that are dependent on a TCT or downstream core promoter element (DPE) motif. These findings led us to investigate the evolution of TRF2. TBP occurs in Archaea and eukaryotes, but TRF2 evolved prior to the emergence of the bilateria and subsequent to the evolutionary split between bilaterians and nonbilaterian animals. Unlike TBP, TRF2 does not bind to the TATA box and could thus function as a new system factor that is largely independent of TBP. We postulate that this TRF2-based system served as the foundation for new transcriptional programs, such as those involved in triploblasty and body plan development, that facilitated the evolution of bilateria.

TBP-related factors: a paradigm of diversity in transcription initiation

TATA binding protein (TBP) is a key component of the eukaryotic transcription initiation machinery. It functions in several complexes involved in core promoter recognition and assembly of the pre-initiation complex. Through gene duplication eukaryotes have expanded their repertoire of TATA binding proteins, leading to a variable composition of the transcription machinery. In vertebrates this repertoire consists of TBP, TBP-like factor (TLF, also known as TBPL1, TRF2) and TBP2 (also known as TBPL2, TRF3). All three factors are essential, with TLF and TBP2 playing important roles in development and differentiation, in particular gametogenesis and early embryonic development, whereas TBP dominates somatic cell transcription. TBP-related factors may compete for promoters when co-expressed, but also show preferential interactions with subsets of promoters. Initiation factor switching occurs on account of differential expression of these proteins in gametes, embryos and somatic cells. Paralogs of TFIIA and TAF subunits account for additional variation in the transcription initiation complex. This variation in core promoter recognition accommodates the expanded regulatory capacity and specificity required for germ cells and embryonic development in higher eukaryotes.

RNA polymerase II and TAFs undergo a slow isomerization after the polymerase is recruited to promoter-bound TFIID

Transcription of mRNA genes requires that RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and the general transcription factors assemble on promoter DNA to form an organized complex capable of initiating transcription. Biochemical studies have shown that Pol II and TFIID (transcription factor IID) contact overlapping regions of the promoter, leading to the question of how these large factors reconcile their promoter interactions during complex assembly. To investigate how the TAF (TATA-binding protein-associated factor) subunits of TFIID alter the kinetic mechanism by which complexes assemble on promoters, we used a highly purified human transcription system. We found that TAFs sharply decrease the rate at which Pol II, TFIIB, and TFIIF assemble on promoter-bound TFIID-TFIIA. Interestingly, the slow step in this process is not recruitment of these factors to the DNA, but rather a postrecruitment isomerization of protein-DNA contacts that occurs throughout the core promoter. Our findings support a model in which Pol II and the general transcription factors rapidly bind promoter-bound TFIID-TFIIA, after which complexes undergo a slow isomerization in which the TAFs reorganize their contacts with the promoter to allow Pol II to properly engage the DNA. In this manner, TAFs kinetically repress basal transcription.

Computer-based screening of functional conformers of proteins

A long-standing goal in biology is to establish the link between function, structure, and dynamics of proteins. Considering that protein function at the molecular level is understood by the ability of proteins to bind to other molecules, the limited structural data of proteins in association with other bio-molecules represents a major hurdle to understanding protein function at the structural level. Recent reports show that protein function can be linked to protein structure and dynamics through network centrality analysis, suggesting that the structures of proteins bound to natural ligands may be inferred computationally. In the present work, a new method is described to discriminate protein conformations relevant to the specific recognition of a ligand. The method relies on a scoring system that matches critical residues with central residues in different structures of a given protein. Central residues are the most traversed residues with the same frequency in networks derived from protein structures. We tested our method in a set of 24 different proteins and more than 260,000 structures of these in the absence of a ligand or bound to it. To illustrate the usefulness of our method in the study of the structure/dynamics/function relationship of proteins, we analyzed mutants of the yeast TATA-binding protein with impaired DNA binding. Our results indicate that critical residues for an interaction are preferentially found as central residues of protein structures in complex with a ligand. Thus, our scoring system effectively distinguishes protein conformations relevant to the function of interest.

Proteins participate in most of the doings of the cells through a variety of interactions. There is an intimate relationship between the function of a protein and its three-dimensional structure, but understanding this relationship remains an unsolved problem, in part due to the limited information on protein structures bound to other biological molecules. On the other hand, thousands of protein structures in the unbound or free form, are made public every year and these differ from those of the bound structures. How to predict the protein structure in the bound form may assist researchers in understanding the structure/function relationship. Here we report that protein structures bound to other molecules tend to present, as central amino acids, those that are critical for binding other molecules. This feature allowed us to identify the protein structures known to be involved in protein interactions from a screening of thousands of structures derived from the free form.

The transcriptional repressor activator protein Rap1p is a direct regulator of TATA-binding protein

Essentially all nuclear eukaryotic gene transcription depends upon the function of the transcription factor TATA-binding protein (TBP). Here we show that the abundant, multifunctional DNA binding transcription factor repressor activator protein Rap1p interacts directly with TBP. TBP-Rap1p binding occurs efficiently in vivo at physiological expression levels, and in vitro analyses confirm that this is a direct interaction. The DNA binding domains of the two proteins mediate interaction between TBP and Rap1p. TBP-Rap1p complex formation inhibits TBP binding to TATA promoter DNA. Alterations in either Rap1p or TBP levels modulate mRNA gene transcription in vivo. We propose that Rap1p represents a heretofore unrecognized regulator of TBP.

Functional silencing of TATA-binding protein (TBP) by a covalent linkage of the N-terminal domain of TBP-associated factor 1

General transcription factor TFIID is comprised of TATA-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAFs), together playing critical roles in regulation of transcription initiation. The TAF N-terminal domain (TAND) of yeast TAF1 containing two subdomains, TAND1 (residues 10-37) and TAND2 (residues 46-71), is sufficient to interact with TBP and suppress the TATA binding activity of TBP. However, the detailed structural analysis of the complex between yeast TBP and TAND12 (residues 6-71) was hindered by its poor solubility and stability in solution. Here we report a molecular engineering approach where the N terminus of TBP is fused to the C terminus of TAND12 via linkers of various lengths containing (GGGS)(n) sequence, (n = 1, 2, 3). The length of the linker within the TAND12-TBP fusion has a significant effect on solubility and stability (SAS). The construct with (GGGS)(3) linker produces the best quality single-quantum-coherence (HSQC) NMR spectrum with markedly improved SAS. In parallel to these observations, the TAND12-TBP fusion exhibits marked reduction of TBP function in binding to TAF1 as well as temperature sensitivity in in vivo yeast cell growth. Remarkably, the temperature sensitivity was proportional to the length of the linker in the fusions: the construct with (GGGS)(3) linker did not grow at 20 degrees C, while those with (GGGS)(1) and (GGGS)(2) linkers did. These results together indicate that the native interaction between TBP and TAND12 is well maintained in the TAND12-(GGGS)(3)-TBP fusion and that this fusion approach provides an excellent model system to investigate the structural detail of the TBP-TAF1 interaction.

The role of chromatin structure in regulating stress-induced transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

All cells, whether free-living or part of a multicellular organism, must contend with a variety of environmental fluctuations that can be harmful or lethal to the cell. Cells exposed to different kinds of environmental stress rapidly alter gene transcription, resulting in the immediate downregulation of housekeeping genes, while crucial stress-responsive transcription is drastically increased. Common cis-acting elements within many stress-induced promoters, such as stress response elements and heat shock elements, allow for coordinated expression in response to many different stresses. However, specific promoter architectures, i.e., specific combinations of high- and low-affinity stress-responsive cis elements embedded in a particular chromatin environment, allow for unique expression patterns that are responsive to the individual type and degree of stress. The coordination of transcriptional stress responses and the role that chromatin structure plays in the regulation and kinetics of such responses is discussed. The interplay among global and gene-specific stress responses is illustrated using the constitutive and stress-induced transcriptional regulation of HSP82 as a model. This review also investigates evidence suggesting that stress-induced transcription is globally synchronized with the stress-induced repression of housekeeping gene via 2 distinct mechanisms of facilitating the binding of TATA-binding protein (TBP): TFIID and SAGA-mediated TBP binding.

SAGA binds TBP via its Spt8 subunit in competition with DNA: implications for TBP recruitment

In yeast, the multisubunit SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase) complex acts as a coactivator to recruit the TATA-binding protein (TBP) to the TATA box, a critical step in eukaryotic gene regulation. However, it is unclear which SAGA subunits are responsible for SAGA's direct interactions with TBP and precisely how SAGA recruits TBP to the promoter. We have used chemical crosslinking to identify Spt8 and Ada1 as potential SAGA subunits that interact with TBP, and we find that both Spt8 and SAGA bind directly to TBP monomer in competition with TBP dimer. We further find that Spt8 and SAGA compete with DNA to bind TBP rather than forming a triple complex. Our results suggest a handoff model for SAGA recruitment of TBP: instead of binding together with TBP at the TATA box, activator-recruited SAGA transfers TBP to the TATA box. This simple model can explain SAGA's observed ability to both activate and repress transcription.

Protein mimicry of DNA and pathway regulation

The discoveries of DNA mimicry by proteins inspired by Ugi experiments led by Dale Mosbaugh and his colleagues have sparked dramatic insights for our understanding of DNA and protein interactions. Currently only a small number protein mimics of DNA are known or suspected, including Ugi, HI1450, Ocr, TAF1, MfpA, and Dinl. These proteins are structurally diverse, but together they share common themes we define here. These mimics tend to resemble distorted rather than normal B-DNA, possibly to prevent cross-reactions with other DNA metabolizing proteins that should not be inhibited. Side-chain carboxylates of glutamates and aspartates functionally replace phosphates and thereby generate an overall charge pattern resembling the DNA phosphate backbone. Most protein mimics of DNA have strikingly hydrophobic cores that likely stabilize the protein fold despite substantial charge localization and a relatively small internal volume enforced by the restrictions from DNA size. These common characteristics for protein mimicry of DNA should prove useful for future identifications of DNA mimics, which seem likely to be found in bacteriophages, conjugative plasmids, eukaryotic viruses, and transcription machinery. We also suggest approaches to the design of novel DNA mimics to inhibit specific pathways and could be important for basic science applications and for use as therapeutic agents. Moreover, mimicry in general is of critical importance in that it provides an elegant mechanism by which interfaces can be reused to force sequential rather than simultaneous complex formations such as seen in systems involving polar protein assemblies and DNA repair machinery.

Improved transcriptional activators and their use in mis-expression traps in Arabidopsis

The synthetic transcription factor LhG4 has been used in numerous mis-expression studies in plants. We show that the sequence encoding the LhG4 activation domain, derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae GAL4, contains several cryptic polyadenylation signals in Arabidopsis. The GAL4-derived sequence was modified according to preferred Arabidopsis codon usage, generating LhG4AtO which was faithfully transcribed in Arabidopsis plants. In protoplasts, LhG4AtO achieved maximum transactivation of the pOp promoter with 10-fold less input DNA than LhG4. The same methods were used to compare 10 other LhG4 derivatives that carried alternative natural or synthetic activation domains. Lh214 and Lh314, which contain synthetic activation domains comprising trimers of a core acidic activation domain, directed threefold more GUS expression from the pOp promoter with 20-fold less input DNA than LhG4. In contrast, when expressed from the CaMV 35S promoter in transgenic plants carrying a pOp-GUS reporter, Lh214 and Lh314 yielded transformants with substantially lower GUS activities than other constructs including LhG4AtO and LhG4 which performed similarly. When incorporated into an enhancer-trapping vector, however, LhG4AtO and Lh314 yielded enhancer traps with approximately twice the frequency of LhG4, suggesting that the modified activation domains offer improved performance when expressed from weaker transcription signals. To increase the number of LhG4 patterns available for mis-expression studies, we describe a population of enhancer-trap lines obtained with LhG4AtO in a pOp-GUS background. We show that enhancer-trap lines can transactivate an unlinked pOp-green fluorescent protein (pOp-GFP) reporter in the pattern predicted by staining for GUS activity.

Changes in genomewide occupancy of core transcriptional regulators during heat stress

Organisms respond to heat stress by reprogramming gene expression. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, heat-induced genes tend to be regulated by factors that belong to the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase (SAGA) transcription regulatory pathway, whereas heat-repressed genes tend to be regulated by a parallel pathway involving transcription factor IID (TFIID). Here, we examine whether heat stress affects the occupancy of representative factors of each pathway at promoter regions throughout the yeast genome. Representatives of the SAGA pathway include the TATA binding protein, Spt3, and Mot1. Representatives of the TFIID pathway include the TATA binding protein, TAF1, and Bdf1. We find that heat stress causes disassembly of the TFIID pathway at genes that are inhibited by stress. In contrast, heat induces assembly of the SAGA pathway at stress-induced genes, although many also assemble along the TFIID pathway. Other genes were found to assemble almost exclusively along the TFIID pathway. Strikingly, these genes are lowly transcribed and are generally not induced. Thus, heat stress leads to factor assembly along each pathway but with distinct transcriptional outcomes. Further investigation of these pathways reveals that Bdf1 and Mot1 negatively regulate the SAGA pathway in different ways. The findings suggest that Bdf1 blocks assembly, whereas Mot1 promotes disassembly of the transcription machinery.

In vivo synthesis of Taf1p lacking the TAF N-terminal domain using alternative transcription or translation initiation sites

The TAF N-terminal domain (TAND) of TAF1 includes two subdomains, TAND1 and TAND2, which bind to the concave and convex surfaces of TBP, respectively. Previous studies showed that the substitution of yeast TAND1 or TAND2 with the equivalent domain from a Drosophila homologue leads to accumulation of truncated Taf1p in yeast. This study demonstrates that these truncated Taf1p derivatives lack TAND. However, full-length Taf1p and untruncated derivatives are produced in yeast when several Met-to-Ala mutations are introduced in the carboxy-terminus of TAND. In contrast, mutations that reduce expression of full-length TAF1 do not reduce the amount of truncated Taf1p derivatives that are produced. These data suggest that TAND-deficient TAF1 derivatives are produced by initiating translation at alternative initiation sites. In addition, the TAF1 mRNA structure suggests that the TAND-deficient TAF1 derivatives may also be formed in yeast by use of (cryptic) alternative transcription initiation sites. Importantly, TAND-deficient truncated Taf1p appears to be produced at a low level in wild-type yeast as well. Finally, this study also demonstrates that Drosophila TAND2 substitutes functionally for yeast TAND2, but Drosophila TAND1 does not substitute for yeast TAND1.

Molecular and genetic characterization of a Taf1p domain essential for yeast TFIID assembly

Yeast Taf1p is an integral component of the multiprotein transcription factor TFIID. By using coimmunoprecipitation assays, coupled with a comprehensive set of deletion mutants encompassing the entire open reading frame of TAF1, we have discovered an essential role of a small portion of yeast Taf1p. This domain of Taf1p, termed region 4, consisting of amino acids 200 to 303, contributes critically to the assembly and stability of the 15-subunit TFIID holocomplex. Region 4 of Taf1p is mutationally sensitive, can assemble several Tafps into a partial TFIID complex, and interacts directly with Taf4p and Taf6p. Mutations in Taf1p-region 4 induce temperature-conditional growth of yeast cells. At the nonpermissive temperature these mutations have drastic effects on both TFIID integrity and mRNA synthesis. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that Taf1p subserves a critical scaffold function within the TFIID complex. The significance of these data with regard to TFIID structure and function is discussed.

Structural and Functional Characterization on the Interaction of Yeast TFIID Subunit TAF1 with TATA-binding Protein

General transcription factor TFIID, consisting of TATA-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAFs), plays a central role in both positive and negative regulation of transcription. The TAF N-terminal domain (TAND) of TAF1 has been shown to interact with TBP and to modulate the interaction of TBP with the TATA box, which is required for transcriptional initiation and activation of TATA-promoter operated genes. We have previously demonstrated that the Drosophila TAND region of TAF1 (residues 11-77) undergoes an induced folding from a largely unstructured state to a globular structure that occupies the DNA-binding surface of TBP thereby inhibiting the DNA-binding activity of TBP. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the TAND region of TAF1 displays marked differences in the primary structure relative to Drosophila TAF1 (11% identity) yet possesses transcriptional activity both in vivo and in vitro. Here we present structural and functional studies of yeast TAND1 and TAND2 regions (residues 10-37, and 46-71, respectively). Our NMR data show that, in yeast, TAND1 contains two alpha-helices (residues 16-23, 30-36) and TAND2 forms a mini beta-sheet structure (residues 53-56, 61-64). These TAND1 and TAND2 structured regions interact with the concave and convex sides of the saddle-like structure of TBP, respectively. Present NMR, mutagenesis and genetic data together elucidate that the minimal region (TAND1 core) required for GAL4-dependent transcriptional activation corresponds to the first helix region of TAND1, while the functional core region of TAND2, involved in direct interaction with TBP convex alpha-helix 2, overlaps with the mini beta-sheet region.

Quantitative assessment of in vitro interactions implicates TATA-binding protein as a target of the VP16C transcriptional activation region

Models of mechanisms of transcriptional activation in eukaryotes frequently invoke direct interactions of transcriptional activation domains with target proteins including general transcription factors or coactivators such as chromatin modifying complexes. The potent transcriptional activation domain (AD) of the VP16 protein of herpes simplex virus has previously been shown to interact with several general transcription factors including the TATA-binding protein (TBP), TBP-associated factor 9 (TAF9), TFIIA, and TFIIB. In surface plasmon resonance assays, a module of the VP16 AD designated VP16C (residues 452-490) bound to TBP with an affinity notably stronger than to TAF9, TFIIA or TFIIB. Moreover, the interaction of VP16C with TBP correlated well with transcriptional activity for a panel of VP16C substitution variants. These results support models in which the interactions of ADs with TBP play an important role in transcriptional activation.

The basic leucine zipper domain of c-Jun functions in transcriptional activation through interaction with the N terminus of human TATA-binding protein-associated factor-1 (human TAF(II)250)

We previously reported that c-Jun binds directly to the N-terminal 163 amino acids of Homo sapiens TATA-binding protein-associated factor-1 (hsTAF1), causing a derepression of transcription factor IID (TFIID)-driven transcription (Lively, T. N., Ferguson, H. A., Galasinski, S. K., Seto, A. G., and Goodrich, J. A. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 25582-25588). This region of hsTAF1 binds TATA-binding protein to repress TFIID DNA binding and transcription. Here we show that the basic leucine zipper domain of c-Jun, which allows for DNA binding and homodimerization, is necessary and sufficient for interaction with hsTAF1. Interestingly, the isolated basic leucine zipper domain of c-Jun was able to derepress TFIID-directed basal transcription in vitro. Moreover, when the N-terminal region of hsTAF1 was added to in vitro transcription reactions and overexpressed in cells, it blocked c-Jun activation. c-Fos, another basic leucine zipper protein, did not interact with hsTAF1, but c-Fos/c-Jun heterodimers did bind the N terminus of hsTAF1. Our studies show that, in addition to dimerization and DNA binding, the well characterized basic leucine zipper domain of c-Jun functions in transcriptional activation by binding to the N terminus of hsTAF1 to derepress transcription.

Mapping key functional sites within yeast TFIID

The transcription factor TFIID, composed of the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and 14 TBP-associated factors (TAFs), plays a key role in the regulation of gene expression by RNA polymerase II. The structure of yeast TFIID, as determined by electron microscopy and digital image analysis, is formed by three lobes, labelled A-C, connected by thin linking domains. Immunomapping revealed that TFIID contains two copies of the WD-40 repeat-containing TAF5 and that TAF5 contributes to the linkers since its C- and N-termini were found in different lobes. This property was confirmed by the finding that a recombinant complex containing TAF5 complexed with six histone fold containing TAFs was able to form a trilobed structure. Moreover, the N-terminal domain of TAF1 was mapped in lobe C, whereas the histone acetyltransferase domain resides in lobe A along with TAF7. TBP was found in the linker domain between lobes A and C in a way that the N-terminal 100 residues of TAF1 are spanned over it. The implications of these data with regard to TFIID function are discussed.

Overlapping mechanisms function to establish transcriptional quiescence in the embryonic Drosophila germline

In Drosophila melanogaster, the germline precursor cells, i.e. pole cells, are formed at the posterior of the embryo. As observed for newly formed germ cells in many other eukaryotes, the pole cells are distinguished from the soma by their transcriptional quiescence. To learn more about the mechanisms involved in establishing quiescence, we ectopically expressed a potent transcriptional activator, Bicoid (Bcd), in pole cells. We find that Bcd overrides the machinery that downregulates transcription, and activates not only its target gene hunchback but also the normally female specific Sex-lethal promoter, Sxl-Pe, in the pole cells of both sexes. Unexpectedly, the terminal pathway gene torso-like is required for Bcd-dependent transcription. However, terminal signaling is known to be attenuated in pole cells, and this raises the question of how this is accomplished. We present evidence indicating that polar granule component (pgc) is required to downregulate terminal signaling in early pole cells. Consistently, pole cells compromised for pgc function exhibit elevated levels of activated MAP kinase and premature transcription of the target gene tailless (tll). Furthermore, pgc is required to establish a repressive chromatin architecture in pole cells.

A Genome-Wide Housekeeping Role for TFIID and a Highly Regulated Stress-Related Role for SAGA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

TFIID and SAGA share a common set of TAFs, regulate chromatin, and deliver TBP to promoters. Here we examine their relationship within the context of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome-wide regulatory network. We find that while TFIID and SAGA make overlapping contributions to the expression of all genes, TFIID function predominates at approximately 90% and SAGA at approximately 10% of the measurable genome. Strikingly, SAGA-dominated genes are largely stress induced and TAF independent, and are downregulated by the coordinate action of a variety of chromatin, TBP, and RNA polymerase II regulators. In contrast, the TFIID-dominated class is less regulated, but is highly dependent upon TAFs, including those shared between TFIID and SAGA. These two distinct modes of transcription regulation might reflect the need to balance inducible stress responses with the steady output of housekeeping genes.

Identification of a novel TATA element-binding protein binding region at the N terminus of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae TAF1 protein

TFIID, a multiprotein complex composed of TATA element-binding protein (TBP) and 14 TBP-associated factors (TAFs), can directly recognize core promoter elements and mediate transcriptional activation. The TAF N-terminal domain (TAND) of TAF1 may play a significant role in these two principal TFIID functions by regulating the access of TBP to the TATA element. In yeast, TAND consists of two subdomains, TAND1 (10-37 amino acids (aa)) and TAND2 (46-71 aa), which interact with the concave and convex surfaces of TBP, respectively. Here we demonstrate that another region located on the C-terminal side of TAND2 (82-139 aa) can also bind to TBP and induce transcriptional activation when tethered to DNA as a GAL4 fusion protein. As these properties are the same as those of TAND1, we denoted this sequence as TAND3. Detailed mutational analyses revealed that three blocks of hydrophobic amino acid residues located within TAND3 are required not only for TBP binding and transcriptional activation but also for supporting cell growth and the efficient transcription of a subset of genes. We also show that the surface of TBP recognized by TAND3 is broader than that recognized by TAND1, although these regions overlap partially. Supporting these observations is that TAND1 can be at least partly functionally substituted by TAND3.

The transcriptional activator GAL4-VP16 regulates the intra-molecular interactions of the TATA-binding protein

Binding characteristics of yeast TATA-binding protein (yTBP) over five oligomers having different TATA variants and lacking a UASGAL, showed that TATA-binding protein (TBP)-TATA complex gets stabilized in the presence of the acidic activator GAL4-VP16. Activator also greatly suppressed the non-specific TBP-DNA complex formation. The effects were more pronounced over weaker TATA boxes. Activator also reduced the TBP dimer levels both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting the dimer may be a direct target of transcriptional activators. The transcriptional activator facilitated the dimer to monomer transition and activated monomers further to help TBP bind even the weaker TATA boxes stably. The overall stimulatory effect of the GAL4-VP16 on the TBP-TATA complex formation resembles the known effects of removal of the N-terminus of TBP on its activity, suggesting that the activator directly targets the N-terminus of TBP and facilitates its binding to the TATA box.

Structural and functional analysis of mutations along the crystallographic dimer interface of the yeast TATA binding protein

The TATA binding protein (TBP) is a central component of the eukaryotic transcription machinery and is subjected to both positive and negative regulation. As is evident from structural and functional studies, TBP's concave DNA binding surface is inhibited by a number of potential mechanisms, including homodimerization and binding to the TAND domain of the TFIID subunit TAF1 (yTAF(II)145/130). Here we further characterized these interactions by creating mutations at 24 amino acids within the Saccharomyces cerevisiae TBP crystallographic dimer interface. These mutants are impaired for dimerization, TAF1 TAND binding, and TATA binding to an extent that is consistent with the crystal or nuclear magnetic resonance structure of these or related interactions. In vivo, these mutants displayed a variety of phenotypes, the severity of which correlated with relative dimer instability in vitro. The phenotypes included a low steady-state level of the mutant TBP, transcriptional derepression, dominant slow growth (partial toxicity), and synthetic toxicity in combination with a deletion of the TAF1 TAND domain. These phenotypes cannot be accounted for by defective interactions with other known TBP inhibitors and likely reflect defects in TBP dimerization.

Mutations in the histone fold domain of the TAF12 gene show synthetic lethality with the TAF1 gene lacking the TAF N-terminal domain (TAND) by different mechanisms from those in the SPT15 gene encoding the TATA box-binding protein (TBP)

The general transcription factor TFIID, composed of the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and 14 TBP-associated factors (TAFs), is important for both basal and regulated transcription by RNA polymerase II. Although it is well known that the TAF N-terminal domain (TAND) at the amino-terminus of the TAF1 protein binds to TBP and thereby inhibits TBP function in vitro, the physiological role of this domain remains obscure. In our previous study, we screened for mutations that cause lethality when co-expressed with the TAF1 gene lacking TAND (taf1-DeltaTAND) and identified two DeltaTAND synthetic lethal (nsl) mutations as those in the SPT15 gene encoding TBP. In this study we isolated another nsl mutation in the same screen and identified it to be a mutation in the histone fold domain (HFD) of the TAF12 gene. Several other HFD mutations of this gene also exhibit nsl phenotypes, and all of them are more or less impaired in transcriptional activation in vivo. Interestingly, a set of genes affected in the taf1-DeltaTAND mutant is similarly affected in the taf12 HFD mutants but not in the nsl mutants of TBP. Therefore, we discovered that the nsl mutations of these two genes cause lethality in the taf1-DeltaTAND mutant by different mechanisms.

Interplay of TBP inhibitors in global transcriptional control

The TATA binding protein (TBP) is required for the expression of nearly all genes and is highly regulated both positively and negatively. Here, we use DNA microarrays to explore the genome-wide interplay of several TBP-interacting inhibitors in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our findings suggest the following: The NC2 inhibitor turns down, but not off, highly active genes. Autoinhibition of TBP through dimerization contributes to transcriptional repression, even at repressive subtelomeric regions. The TAND domain of TAF1 plays a primary inhibitory role at very few genes, but its function becomes widespread when other TBP interactions are compromised. These findings reveal that transcriptional output is limited in part by a collaboration of different combinations of TBP inhibitory mechanisms.

The VP16 activation domain interacts with multiple transcriptional components as determined by protein-protein cross-linking in vivo

Transcriptional activator proteins recruit the RNA polymerase II machinery and chromatin-modifying activities to promoters. Biochemical experiments indicate that activator proteins can associate with a large number of proteins, and many such proteins have been proposed to be direct targets of activators. However, there is great uncertainty about which biochemical interactions are physiologically relevant. Here, we develop a formaldehyde-based cross-linking procedure to identify protein-protein interactions that occur under physiological conditions. We show that the VP16 activation domain directly interacts with TATA-binding protein (TBP), TFIIB, and the SAGA histone acetylase complex in vivo.

Gal4-VP16 and Gal4-AH increase the orientational and axial specificity of TATA box recognition by TATA box binding protein

Previous work has shown that binding of the TATA box binding protein (TBP) to the TATA box is a rate-limiting step during pre-initiation complex (PIC) formation. Although the transcription of eukaryotic genes normally proceeds in one direction, studies in solution have shown that TBP lacks the information necessary to orient itself on the TATA box. Instead, yeast TBP binds TATA-containing promoters in two orientations that are related by a 180 rotation about TBP's pseudo-2-fold symmetry axis. Recruitment of PIC components by gene-specific activators is considered a primary mechanism of transcriptional enhancement. Here we ask whether activators might function, at least in part, by increasing the fraction of PICs assembled with TBP bound in the orientation necessary for transcription. We use DNA affinity cleavage and a TBP-phenanthroline-copper conjugate to monitor the orientation of TBP in the presence of the well-studied activators Gal4-VP16 and Gal4-AH. In the absence of a transcriptional activator, only 51% of the TBP x TATA box complexes were bound in the orientation necessary for the initiation of transcription. However, in the presence of saturating Gal4-VP16, 87% of the TBP bound to the TATA box was oriented correctly at equilibrium. This increase in orientational specificity corresponds to a free energy difference (Delta Delta G(obs)) of 1.1 kcal x mol(-1) and was accompanied by a dramatic increase in axial specificity, reminiscent of the effects of transcription factors TFIIB and TFIIA reported previously. Gal4-AH also enhanced the orientational and axial specificity of the TBP x TATA complex, although to a lesser extent. We suggest that these effects on specificity represent a variation of recruitment, since they require direct interactions between the activator and a PIC component but only increase the effective concentration of the correctly oriented PIC component. These findings add to increasing evidence that recruitment may encompass a broad range of mechanisms.

The H1 and H2 regions of the activation domain of herpes simplex virion protein 16 stimulate transcription through distinct molecular mechanisms

BACKGROUND

The Herpes Simplex Virion Protein 16 (VP16) contains a strong activation domain which can be subdivided into two regions, H1 and H2, both of which independently activate transcription in vivo. Several components of the basal transcription machinery have been shown to interact with the activation domain of VP16, mostly through the H1 region.

RESULTS

We show that the H2 region binds directly to histone acetyltransferase, CBP (CREB (cAMP Responsive Element Binding Protein) Binding Protein) both in vivo and in vitro. The sites of interaction with the H2 region were mapped to both the amino- and carboxy-terminal segments of CBP. A mutation in the H2 region disrupts the interaction with CBP and abolishes the ability of VP16 to mediate in vitro transactivation from chromatin templates in an acetyl-CoA dependent manner. In contrast, human Mediator, another co-activator complex, binds specifically to both the H1 and H2 regions.

CONCLUSION

The H1 and H2 regions of the VP16 activation domain activate transcription via distinct pathways. The H2 requires CBP for activation, whereas the H1 may function through Mediator and general transcription factors.

Fluorescence-based analyses of the effects of full-length recombinant TAF130p on the interaction of TATA box-binding protein with TATA box DNA

We have used a combination of fluorescence anisotropy spectroscopy and fluorescence-based native gel electrophoresis methods to examine the effects of the transcription factor IID-specific subunit TAF130p (TAF145p) upon the TATA box DNA binding properties of TATA box-binding protein (TBP). Purified full-length recombinant TAF130p decreases TBP-TATA DNA complex formation at equilibrium by competing directly with DNA for binding to TBP. Interestingly, we have found that full-length TAF130p is capable of binding multiple molecules of TBP with nanomolar binding affinity. The biological implications of these findings are discussed.

Regulation of cAMP-responsive element-binding protein-mediated transcription by the SNF2/SWI-related protein, SRCAP

SRCAP (SNF2-related CPB activator protein) belongs to the SNF2 family of proteins whose members participate in various aspects of transcriptional regulation, including chromatin remodeling. It was identified by its ability to bind to cAMP-responsive-binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP), and it increases the transactivation function of CBP. The phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter was used as a model system to explore the role of SRCAP in the regulation of transcription mediated by factors that utilize CBP as a coactivator. We show that transcription of a PEPCK chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene activated by protein kinase A (PKA) is enhanced 7-fold by SRCAP. In the absence of PKA this SRCAP-mediated enhancement does not occur, suggesting that SRCAP functions as a coactivator for PKA-activated factors such as CREB. Replacing the PEPCK promoter binding site for CREB with a binding site for Gal4 (DeltaCRE (cAMP-responsive element) Gal4 PEPCK-CAT reporter gene) blocks the ability of SRCAP to activate transcription despite the presence of PKA. Expression of a Gal-CREB chimera restores the ability of PKA to regulate transcription of the DeltaCRE Gal4 PEPCK gene and restored the ability of SRCAP to stimulate PKA-activated transcription. In addition, SRCAP in the presence of PKA enhances the ability of the Gal-CREB chimera to activate transcription of a Gal-CAT reporter gene that contains only binding sites for Gal4. SRCAP binds to CBP amino acids 280-460, a region that is important for CBP to function as a coactivator for CREB. Overexpression of a SRCAP peptide corresponding to this CBP binding domain acts as a dominant negative inhibitor of CREB-mediated transcription. Structure-function studies were done to explore the mechanism(s) by which SRCAP regulates transcription. These studies indicate that the N-terminal region of SRCAP, which contains five of the seven regions that comprise the ATPase domain, is not needed for activation of CREB-mediated transcription. SRCAP apparently has several domains that participate in the activation of transcription.

TAF(II)170 interacts with the concave surface of TATA-binding protein to inhibit its DNA binding activity

The human RNA polymerase II transcription factor B-TFIID consists of TATA-binding protein (TBP) and the TBP-associated factor (TAF) TAF(II)170 and can rapidly redistribute over promoter DNA. Here we report the identification of human TBP-binding regions in human TAF(II)170. We have defined the TBP interaction domain of TAF(II)170 within three amino-terminal regions: residues 2 to 137, 290 to 381, and 380 to 460. Each region contains a pair of Huntington-elongation-A subunit-Tor repeats and exhibits species-specific interactions with TBP family members. Remarkably, the altered-specificity TBP mutant (TBP(AS)) containing a triple mutation in the concave surface is defective for binding the TAF(II)170 amino-terminal region of residues 1 to 504. Furthermore, within this region the TAF(II)170 residues 290 to 381 can inhibit the interaction between Drosophila TAF(II)230 (residues 2 to 81) and TBP through competition for the concave surface of TBP. Biochemical analyses of TBP binding to the TATA box indicated that TAF(II)170 region 290-381 inhibits TBP-DNA complex formation. Importantly, the TBP(AS) mutant is less sensitive to TAF(II)170 inhibition. Collectively, our results support a mechanism in which TAF(II)170 induces high-mobility DNA binding by TBP through reversible interactions with its concave DNA binding surface.

Positive and negative TAF(II) functions that suggest a dynamic TFIID structure and elicit synergy with traps in activator-induced transcription

Human transcription factor TFIID contains the TATA-binding protein (TBP) and several TBP-associated factors (TAF(II)s). To elucidate the structural organization and function of TFIID, we expressed and characterized the product of a cloned cDNA encoding human TAF(II)135 (hTAF(II)135). Comparative far Western blots have shown that hTAF(II)135 interacts strongly with hTAF(II)20, moderately with hTAF(II)150, and weakly with hTAF(II)43 and hTAF(II)250. Consistent with these observations and with sequence relationships of hTAF(II)20 and hTAF(II)135 to histones H2B and H2A, respectively, TFIID preparations that contain higher levels of hTAF(II)135 also contain higher levels of hTAF(II)20, and the interaction between hTAF(II)20 and hTAF(II)135 is critical for human TFIID assembly in vitro. From a functional standpoint, hTAF(II)135 has been found to interact strongly and directly with hTFIIA and (within a complex that also contains hTBP and hTAF(II)250) to specifically cooperate with TFIIA to relieve TAF(II)250-mediated repression of TBP binding and function on core promoters. Finally, we report a functional synergism between TAF(II)s and the TRAP/Mediator complex in activated transcription, manifested as hTAF(II)-mediated inhibition of basal transcription and a consequent TRAP requirement for both a high absolute level of activated transcription and a high and more physiological activated/basal transcription ratio. These results suggest a dynamic TFIID structure in which the switch from a basal hTAF(II)-enhanced repression state to an activator-mediated activated state on a promoter may be mediated in part through activator or coactivator interactions with hTAF(II)135.

c-Jun binds the N terminus of human TAF(II)250 to derepress RNA polymerase II transcription in vitro

c-Jun is an oncoprotein that activates transcription of many genes involved in cell growth and proliferation. We studied the mechanism of transcriptional activation by human c-Jun in a human RNA polymerase II transcription system composed of highly purified recombinant and native transcription factors. Transcriptional activation by c-Jun depends on the TATA-binding protein (TBP)-associated factor (TAF) subunits of transcription factor IID (TFIID). Protein-protein interaction assays revealed that c-Jun binds with high specificity to the largest subunit of human TFIID, TAF(II)250. The region of TAF(II)250 bound by c-Jun lies in the N-terminal 163 amino acids. This same region of TAF(II)250 binds to TBP and represses its interaction with TATA boxes, thereby decreasing DNA binding by TFIID. We hypothesized that c-Jun is capable of derepressing the effect of the TAF(II)250 N terminus on TFIID-driven transcription. In support of this hypothesis, we found that c-Jun increased levels of TFIID-driven transcription in vitro when added at high concentrations to a DNA template lacking activator protein 1 (AP-1) sites. Moreover, c-Jun blocked the repression of TBP DNA binding caused by the N terminus of TAF(II)250. In addition to revealing a mechanism by which c-Jun activates transcription, our studies provide the first evidence that an activator can bind directly to the N terminus of TAF(II)250 to derepress RNA polymerase II transcription in vitro.

TFIIA interacts with TFIID via association with TATA-binding protein and TAF40

TFIIA and TATA-binding protein (TBP) associate directly at the TATA element of genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II. In vivo, TBP is complexed with approximately 14 TBP-associated factors (TAFs) to form the general transcription factor TFIID. How TFIIA and TFIID communicate is not well understood. We show that in addition to making direct contacts with TBP, yeast TAF40 interacts directly and specifically with TFIIA. Mutational analyses of the Toa2 subunit of TFIIA indicate that loss of functional interaction between TFIIA and TAF40 results in conditional growth phenotypes and defects in transcription. These results demonstrate that the TFIIA-TAF40 interaction is important in vivo and indicate a functional role for TAF40 as a bridging factor between TFIIA and TFIID.

Mutations in the TATA-binding protein, affecting transcriptional activation, show synthetic lethality with the TAF145 gene lacking the TAF N-terminal domain in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The general transcription factor TFIID, which is composed of the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and a set of TBP-associated factors (TAFs), is crucial for both basal and regulated transcription by RNA polymerase II. The N-terminal small segment of yeast TAF145 (yTAF145) binds to TBP and thereby inhibits TBP function. To understand the physiological role of this inhibitory domain, which is designated as TAND (TAF N-terminal domain), we screened mutations, synthetically lethal with the TAF145 gene lacking TAND (taf145 Delta TAND), in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by exploiting a red/white colony-sectoring assay. Our screen yielded several recessive nsl (Delta TAND synthetic lethal) mutations, two of which, nsl1-1 and nsl1-2, define the same complementation group. The NSL1 gene was found to be identical to the SPT15 gene encoding TBP. Interestingly, both temperature-sensitive nsl1/spt15 alleles, which harbor the single amino acid substitutions, S118L and P65S, respectively, were defective in transcriptional activation in vivo. Several other previously characterized activation-deficient spt15 alleles also displayed synthetic lethal interactions with taf145 Delta TAND, indicating that TAND and TBP carry an overlapping but as yet unidentified function that is specifically required for transcriptional regulation.

TATA-binding protein and the Gal4 transactivator do not bind to promoters cooperatively

The yeast Gal4 protein, like many activators, binds TATA-binding protein (TBP) directly in vitro. It has been speculated that this protein-protein interaction is important for Gal4p-mediated activation of transcription, but little work has been done to test specific models involving this interaction. In this study, the effect of Gal4p on TBP-TATA binding is addressed. Specifically, it is asked if the Gal4p-TBP interaction can support cooperative binding of the two factors to promoters. It is easy to see how such an event could stimulate transcription, particularly from promoters with a non-consensus TATA box. In vitro, however, a derivative of Gal4p (Gal4-(1-93+768-881)) containing the DNA-binding, dimerization, and activation domains does not bind to promoter DNA cooperatively with either recombinant, purified TBP, or with protein from a yeast crude extract. In vivo, reporter gene experiments using promoters with differing TBP affinities reveal no major Gal4p-mediated stimulation of TBP function from weak TATA boxes, as would be predicted if the proteins bind cooperatively. Furthermore, native Gal4p and a potent Gal4p-based artificial activator lacking a TBP-binding activation domain support similar ratios of transcription from a series of promoters identical except for mutations in the TATA box. It is concluded that Gal4p and TBP do not bind cooperatively to promoters and that this mechanism does not contribute substantially to Gal4p-mediated transcriptional activation.

Influence of HMG-1 and adenovirus oncoprotein E1A on early stages of transcriptional preinitiation complex assembly

The TATA-binding protein (TBP) in the TFIID complex binds specifically to the TATA-box to initiate the stepwise assembly of the preinitiation complex (PIC) for RNA polymerase II transcription. Transcriptional activators and repressors compete with general transcription factors at each step to influence the course of the assembly. To investigate this process, the TBP.TATA complex was titrated with HMG-1 and the interaction monitored by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The titration produced a ternary HMG-1.TBP. TATA complex, which exhibits increased mobility relative to the TBP. TATA complex. The addition of increasing levels of TFIIB to this complex results in the formation of the TFIIB.TBP.TATA complex. However, in the reverse titration, with very high mole ratios of HMG-1 present, TFIIB is not dissociated off and a complex is formed that contains all factors. The simultaneous addition of E1A to a mixture of TBP and TATA; or HMG-1, TBP, and TATA; or TFIIB, TBP, and TATA inhibits complex formation. On the other hand, E1A added to the pre-established complexes shows a significantly reduced capability to disrupt the complex. In add-back experiments with all complexes, increased levels of TBP re-established the complexes, indicating that the primary target for E1A in all complexes is TBP.

Biochemical characterization of the TATA-binding protein-Gal4 activation domain complex

It has been suggested that complexes between gene-specific activators and the TATA-binding protein (TBP) play an important role in the expression of many genes. However, few detailed studies of well defined activator-TBP complexes have been reported. An analysis of the biochemical properties of the complex formed by the acidic activation domain (AAD) of the yeast activator Gal4 and TBP is presented here. This is shown to be composed of two AAD and one TBP molecule. DNA binding experiments reveal that TATA-containing DNAs and the Gal4 AAD bind TBP competitively, suggesting that the AAD and TATA boxes recognize overlapping surfaces of TBP. The kinetics of the formation and dissociation of the AAD(2)-TBP complex is also probed. The impact of these findings on models for Gal4-mediated transcriptional activation is considered.

A role of transcriptional activators as antirepressors for the autoinhibitory activity of TATA box binding of transcription factor IID

The TATA box-binding activity of transcription factor IID (TFIID) is autoinhibited by the N-terminal domain of the Drosophila TATA box-binding protein- (TBP) associated factor 230/yeast TBP-associated factor 145 subunit, which binds to the TATA box-binding domain of TBP by mimicking the TATA box structure. Here, we propose a mechanism of transcriptional activation that involves antirepression of this autoinhibitory activity by transcriptional activators. Like the autoinhibitory domain of TFIID, various acidic activators interact with the TATA box-binding domain of TBP. Moreover, the autoinhibitory domain of TFIID, which is known to interact with only the TATA box-binding domain of TBP, acts as an activation domain when fused to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain, indicating that interaction with the TATA-binding domain of TBP is crucial for activation of transcription. In a reciprocal fashion, the acidic activation domains can function as the autoinhibitory domain when the latter is replaced by the former within TFIID. These results indicate that activation domains and the autoinhibitory domain of TFIID are interchangeable, supporting a role for transcriptional activators as antirepressors of the autoinhibitory activity of the TATA box binding of TFIID.

TFIIA-TAF regulatory interplay: NMR evidence for overlapping binding sites on TBP

TATA box binding protein (TBP)-promoter interaction nucleates assembly of the RNA polymerase II transcription initiation complex. Transcription factor IIA (TFIIA) stabilizes the TBP-promoter complex whereas the N-terminal domain of the largest TAF(II) inhibits TBP-promoter interaction. We have mapped the interaction sites on TBP of Drosophila TAF(II)230 and yeast TFIIA (comprising two subunits, TOA1 and TOA2), using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and also report structural evidence that subdomain II of the TAF(II)230 N-terminal inhibitory domain and TFIIA have overlapping binding sites on the convex surface of TBP. Together with previous mutational and biochemical data, our NMR results indicate that subdomain II augments subdomain I-mediated inhibition of TBP function by blocking TBP-TFIIA interaction.

TAF250 is required for multiple developmental events in Drosophila

The TFIID transcription initiation complex is composed of TBP and multiple TAFs. Studies in unicellular systems indicate that TAF250 is required for progression through G(1)/S of the cell cycle and repression of apoptosis. Here we extend these in vivo studies by determining the developmental requirements for TAF250 in a multicellular organism, Drosophila. TAF250 mutants were isolated in a genetic screen that also yielded TAF60 and TAF110 mutants, indicating that TAFs function coordinately to regulate transcription. Null alleles of TAF250 are recessive larval lethal. However, combinations of weak loss-of-function TAF250 alleles survive to adulthood and reveal requirements for TAF250 during ovary, eye, ocelli, wing, bristle, and terminalia development as well as overall growth of the fly. These phenotypes suggest roles for TAF250 in regulating the cell cycle, cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and cell survival. Finally, molecular analysis of TAF250 mutants reveals that the observed phenotypes are caused by mutations in a central region of TAF250 that is conserved among metazoan organisms. This region is contained within the TAF250 histone acetyltransferase domain, but the mutations do not alter the histone acetyltransferase activity of TAF250 in vitro, indicating that some other aspect of TAF250 function is affected. Because this region is not conserved in the yeast TAF250 homologue, TAF145, it may define an activity for TAF250 that is unique to higher eukaryotes.

Identification of highly conserved amino-terminal segments of dTAFII230 and yTAFII145 that are functionally interchangeable for inhibiting TBP-DNA interactions in vitro and in promoting yeast cell growth in vivo

TFIID is a multiprotein complex composed of TBP and several TAFIIs. Small amino-terminal segments (TAF N-terminal domain (TAND)) of Drosophila TAFII230 (dTAFII230) and yeast TAFII145 (yTAFII145) bind strongly to TBP and inhibit TBP-DNA interactions. yTAFII145 TAND (yTAND) was divided into two subdomains, yTANDI10-37 and yTANDII46-71, that function cooperatively. Here, we identify dTANDII within the amino terminus of dTAFII230 at 118-143 amino acids in addition to dTANDI18-77, reported previously. dTANDII exhibits pronounced sequence similarity to yTANDII, and the two were shown to be functionally equivalent in binding to TBP and inhibiting TBP-DNA interactions in vitro. Alanine scanning mutation analysis demonstrated that Phe-57 (yTANDII) and Tyr-129 (dTANDII) are critically required for the interaction with TBP. Yeast strains containing mutant yTAFII145 lacking yTANDI or yTANDII showed a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype. The conserved core of dTANDII could substitute for the yTANDII core, and Phe-57 or Tyr-129 described above was critically required for the function of this segment in promoting normal cell growth at 37 degreesC. In these respects, the impact of yTANDII mutations on cell growth paralleled their effects on TBP binding in vitro, strongly suggesting that the yTAFII145-TBP interaction and its negative effects on TFIID binding to core promoters are physiologically important.

Solution structure of a TBP-TAF(II)230 complex: protein mimicry of the minor groove surface of the TATA box unwound by TBP

General transcription factor TFIID consists of TATA box-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAF(II)s), which together play a central role in both positive and negative regulation of transcription. The N-terminal region of the 230 kDa Drosophila TAF(II) (dTAF(II)230) binds directly to TBP and inhibits TBP binding to the TATA box. We report here the solution structure of the complex formed by dTAF(II)230 N-terminal region (residues 11-77) and TBP. dTAF(II)230(11-77) comprises three alpha helices and a beta hairpin, forming a core that occupies the concave DNA-binding surface of TBP. The TBP-binding surface of dTAF(II)230 markedly resembles the minor groove surface of the partially unwound TATA box in the TBP-TATA complex. This protein mimicry of the TATA element surface provides the structural basis of the mechanism by which dTAF(II)230 negatively controls the TATA box-binding activity within the TFIID complex.

Human general transcription factor TFIIB: conformational variability and interaction with VP16 activation domain

Human TFIIB, an essential factor in transcription of protein-coding genes by RNA polymerase II, consists of an amino-terminal zinc binding domain (TFIIBn) connected by a linker of about 60 residues to a carboxy-terminal core domain (TFIIBc). The TFIIB core domain has two internally repeated motifs, each comprising five alpha-helices arranged as in the cyclin box. Compared to the crystal structure of TFIIBc in complex with TBP and a TATA-containing oligonucleotide, the NMR-derived solution structure of free TFIIBc is more compact, with a different repeat-repeat orientation and a significantly shorter first helix in the second repeat. Analysis of backbone 15N relaxation parameters indicates the presence of relatively large amplitude, nanosecond time-scale motions in the TFIIBc interrepeat linker and structural fluctuations throughout the backbone. Interaction of TFIIBc with the acidic activation domain of VP16 or with TFIIBn induces 1H-15N chemical shift and line width changes concentrated in the first repeat, interrepeat linker and the first helix of the second repeat. These results suggest that TFIIB is somewhat pliable and that the conformation of the C-terminal core domain can be modulated by interaction with the N-terminal zinc binding domain. Furthermore, binding of the VP16 activation domain may promote TFIIBc conformations primed for binding to a TBP-DNA complex.

Involvement of TFIID and USA components in transcriptional activation of the human immunodeficiency virus promoter by NF-kappaB and Sp1

The purified Rel/NF-kappaB (p50/p65) complex and Sp1 markedly activate transcription from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) promoter in a highly purified HeLa reconstituted transcription system. Transcriptional activation by NF-kappaB and Sp1 requires both TFIID and the USA fraction. The USA-derived coactivators PC2 and PC4 fully reconstitute the USA coactivator activity, both by repressing the basal level of transcription and by potentiating activator function to yield large increases in the levels of transcription induction. Under limiting concentrations, PC2 and PC4 also show synergistic effects. The C-terminal portion (amino acids 416 to 550) of the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB is a potent activator when assayed as a Gal fusion in the reconstituted transcription system and interacts both with TATA-binding protein (TBP) and with several human TBP-associated factors (TAFs) that include TAFII250. The p65 activation domain mediates transcription activation in the presence of partially reconstituted TFIID species that include a minimal complex containing only TBP and TAFII250. These studies also show that, like USA components, TAFs can serve both to repress TBP-mediated transcription and, following activator interactions, to reverse the repression and effect a net increase in activity. Taken together, these data underscore the importance of both TAFs and specific USA-derived coactivators for optimal activation of the HIV-1 promoter, as well as certain parallels in their overall mechanisms of action.

Transcription activation via enhanced preinitiation complex assembly in a human cell-free system lacking TAFIIs

In contrast to previous findings in cell-free systems reconstituted with partially purified metazoan factors, we demonstrate dramatic activation of transcription in a TBP-dependent but TAFII-independent manner in HeLa nuclear extracts immunodepleted of TBP and major TAFIIs. Single-round transcription assays reveal that TAFII-independent activation is manifested at the level of productive preinitiation complex formation and that TAFIIs actually impair functional preinitiation complex assembly in a core promoter-specific manner. Furthermore, TAFIIs appear to elevate absolute levels of transcription under multiple-round transcription conditions, presumably by facilitating secondary initiation events. Finally, human coactivator activities related to those in yeast RNA polymerase II/mediator complexes appear to function in unfractionated HeLa nuclear extracts.

The yeast TAF145 inhibitory domain and TFIIA competitively bind to TATA-binding protein

The Drosophila 230-kDa TFIID subunit (dTAF230) interacts with the DNA binding domain of TATA box-binding protein (TBP) which exists in the same complex. Here, we characterize the inhibitory domain in the yeast TAF145 (yTAF145), which is homologous to dTAF230. Mutation studies show that the N-terminal inhibitory region (residues 10 to 71) can be divided into two subdomains, I (residues 10 to 37) and II (residues 46 to 71). Mutations in either subdomain significantly impair function. Acidic residues in subdomain II are important for the interaction with TBP. In addition, yTAF145 interaction is impaired by mutating the basic residues on the convex surface of TBP, which are crucial for interaction with TFIIA. Consistently, TFIIA and yTAF145 bind competitively to TBP. A deletion of the inhibitory domain of yTAF145 leads to a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype. Importantly, this phenotype is suppressed by overexpression of the TFIIA subunits, indicating that the yTAF145 inhibitory domain is involved in TFIIA function.