1
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Miropolskaya N, Petushkov I, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Suppressor mutations in Escherichia coli RNA polymerase alter transcription initiation but do not affect translesion RNA synthesis in vitro. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102099. [PMID: 35667439 PMCID: PMC9254596 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) coordinates transcription with DNA repair and replication. Many RNAP mutations have pleiotropic phenotypes with profound effects on transcription-coupled processes. One class of RNAP mutations (rpo*) has been shown to suppress mutations in regulatory factors responsible for changes in gene expression during stationary phase or starvation, as well as in factors involved in the restoration of replication forks after DNA damage. These mutations were suggested to affect the ability of RNAP to transcribe damaged DNA and to decrease the stability of transcription complexes, thus facilitating their dislodging during DNA replication and repair, although this was not explicitly demonstrated. Here, we obtained nine mutations of this class located around the DNA/RNA binding cleft of E. coli RNAP and analyzed their transcription properties in vitro. We found that these mutations decreased promoter complex stability to varying degrees and all decreased the activity of rRNA promoters. However, they did not have strong effects on elongation complex stability. Some mutations were shown to stimulate transcriptional pauses or decrease intrinsic RNA cleavage by RNAP, but none altered the ability of RNAP to transcribe DNA templates containing damaged nucleotides. Thus, we conclude that the suppressor phenotypes of the mutations are unlikely to result from direct effects on DNA lesion recognition by RNAP but may be primarily explained by changes in transcription initiation. Further analysis of the effects of these mutations on the genomic distribution of RNAP and its interactions with regulatory factors will be essential for understanding their diverse phenotypes in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Miropolskaya
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan Petushkov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, Russia.
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow, Russia.
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2
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Tihelka E, Cai C, Giacomelli M, Lozano-Fernandez J, Rota-Stabelli O, Huang D, Engel MS, Donoghue PCJ, Pisani D. The evolution of insect biodiversity. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R1299-R1311. [PMID: 34637741 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Insects comprise over half of all described animal species. Together with the Protura (coneheads), Collembola (springtails) and Diplura (two-pronged bristletails), insects form the Hexapoda, a terrestrial arthropod lineage characterised by possessing six legs. Exponential growth of genome-scale data for the hexapods has substantially altered our understanding of the origin and evolution of insect biodiversity. Phylogenomics has provided a new framework for reconstructing insect evolutionary history, resolving their position among the arthropods and some long-standing internal controversies such as the placement of the termites, twisted-winged insects, lice and fleas. However, despite the greatly increased size of phylogenomic datasets, contentious relationships among key insect clades remain unresolved. Further advances in insect phylogeny cannot rely on increased depth and breadth of genome and taxon sequencing. Improved modelling of the substitution process is fundamental to countering tree-reconstruction artefacts, while gene content, modelling of duplications and deletions, and comparative morphology all provide complementary lines of evidence to test hypotheses emerging from the analysis of sequence data. Finally, the integration of molecular and morphological data is key to the incorporation of fossil species within insect phylogeny. The emerging integrated framework of insect evolution will help explain the origins of insect megadiversity in terms of the evolution of their body plan, species diversity and ecology. Future studies of insect phylogeny should build upon an experimental, hypothesis-driven approach where the robustness of hypotheses generated is tested against increasingly realistic evolutionary models as well as complementary sources of phylogenetic evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Tihelka
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.
| | - Chenyang Cai
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.
| | | | - Jesus Lozano-Fernandez
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Omar Rota-Stabelli
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all Adige, Italy; Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, 38010 San Michele all Adige, Italy
| | - Diying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | | | - Davide Pisani
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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3
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Mosaei H, Zenkin N. Two distinct pathways of RNA polymerase backtracking determine the requirement for the Trigger Loop during RNA hydrolysis. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:8777-8784. [PMID: 34365509 PMCID: PMC8421135 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcribing RNA polymerase (RNAP) can fall into backtracking, phenomenon when the 3' end of the transcript disengages from the template DNA. Backtracking is caused by sequences of the nucleic acids or by misincorporation of erroneous nucleotides. To resume productive elongation backtracked complexes have to be resolved through hydrolysis of RNA. There is currently no consensus on the mechanism of catalysis of this reaction by Escherichia coli RNAP. Here we used Salinamide A, that we found inhibits RNAP catalytic domain Trigger Loop (TL), to show that the TL is required for RNA cleavage during proofreading of misincorporation events but plays little role during cleavage in sequence-dependent backtracked complexes. Results reveal that backtracking caused by misincorporation is distinct from sequence-dependent backtracking, resulting in different conformations of the 3' end of RNA within the active center. We show that the TL is required to transfer the 3' end of misincorporated transcript from cleavage-inefficient 'misincorporation site' into the cleavage-efficient 'backtracked site', where hydrolysis takes place via transcript-assisted catalysis and is largely independent of the TL. These findings resolve the controversy surrounding mechanism of RNA hydrolysis by E. coli RNA polymerase and indicate that the TL role in RNA cleavage has diverged among bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Mosaei
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Nikolay Zenkin
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +44 0 1912083227; Fax: +44 0 1912083205;
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4
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Steinchen W, Ahmad S, Valentini M, Eilers K, Majkini M, Altegoer F, Lechner M, Filloux A, Whitney JC, Bange G. Dual role of a (p)ppGpp- and (p)ppApp-degrading enzyme in biofilm formation and interbacterial antagonism. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:1339-1356. [PMID: 33448498 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The guanosine nucleotide-based second messengers ppGpp and pppGpp (collectively: (p)ppGpp) enable adaptation of microorganisms to environmental changes and stress conditions. In contrast, the closely related adenosine nucleotides (p)ppApp are involved in type VI secretion system (T6SS)-mediated killing during bacterial competition. Long RelA-SpoT Homolog (RSH) enzymes regulate synthesis and degradation of (p)ppGpp (and potentially also (p)ppApp) through their synthetase and hydrolase domains, respectively. Small alarmone hydrolases (SAH) that consist of only a hydrolase domain are found in a variety of bacterial species, including the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we present the structure and mechanism of P. aeruginosa SAH showing that the enzyme promiscuously hydrolyses (p)ppGpp and (p)ppApp in a strictly manganese-dependent manner. While being dispensable for P. aeruginosa growth or swimming, swarming, and twitching motilities, its enzymatic activity is required for biofilm formation. Moreover, (p)ppApp-degradation by SAH provides protection against the T6SS (p)ppApp synthetase effector Tas1, suggesting that SAH enzymes can also serve as defense proteins during interbacterial competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Shehryar Ahmad
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Martina Valentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kira Eilers
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mohamad Majkini
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Altegoer
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Lechner
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alain Filloux
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - John C Whitney
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) & Faculty of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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5
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Agapov A, Ignatov A, Turtola M, Belogurov G, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Role of the trigger loop in translesion RNA synthesis by bacterial RNA polymerase. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:9583-9595. [PMID: 32439804 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA lesions can severely compromise transcription and block RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase (RNAP), leading to subsequent recruitment of DNA repair factors to the stalled transcription complex. Recent structural studies have uncovered molecular interactions of several DNA lesions within the transcription elongation complex. However, little is known about the role of key elements of the RNAP active site in translesion transcription. Here, using recombinantly expressed proteins, in vitro transcription, kinetic analyses, and in vivo cell viability assays, we report that point amino acid substitutions in the trigger loop, a flexible element of the active site involved in nucleotide addition, can stimulate translesion RNA synthesis by Escherichia coli RNAP without altering the fidelity of nucleotide incorporation. We show that these substitutions also decrease transcriptional pausing and strongly affect the nucleotide addition cycle of RNAP by increasing the rate of nucleotide addition but also decreasing the rate of translocation. The secondary channel factors DksA and GreA modulated translesion transcription by RNAP, depending on changes in the trigger loop structure. We observed that although the mutant RNAPs stimulate translesion synthesis, their expression is toxic in vivo, especially under stress conditions. We conclude that the efficiency of translesion transcription can be significantly modulated by mutations affecting the conformational dynamics of the active site of RNAP, with potential effects on cellular stress responses and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Agapov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Artem Ignatov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Matti Turtola
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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6
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Antitermination protein P7 of bacteriophage Xp10 distinguishes different types of transcriptional pausing by bacterial RNA polymerase. Biochimie 2020; 170:57-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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7
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Miropolskaya N, Kulbachinskiy A, Esyunina D. Factor-specific effects of mutations in the active site of RNA polymerase on RNA cleavage. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 523:165-170. [PMID: 31837805 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.12.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) relies on the same active site for RNA synthesis and co-transcriptional RNA proofreading. The intrinsic RNA proofreading activity of RNAP can be greatly stimulated by Gre factors, which bind within the secondary channel and directly participate in the RNA cleavage reaction in the active site of RNAP. Here, we characterize mutations in Escherichia coli RNAP that differentially affect intrinsic and Gre-stimulated RNA cleavage. Substitution of a highly conserved arginine residue that contacts nascent RNA upstream of the active site strongly impairs intrinsic and GreA-dependent cleavage, without reducing GreA affinity or catalytic Mg2+ binding. In contrast, substitutions of several nonconserved residues at the Gre-interacting interface in the secondary channel primarily affect GreB-dependent cleavage, by decreasing both the catalytic rate and GreB affinity. The results suggest that RNAP residues not directly involved in contacts with the reacting RNA groups or catalytic ions play essential roles in RNA cleavage and can modulate its regulation by transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Miropolskaya
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia.
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia.
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8
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Riaz-Bradley A, James K, Yuzenkova Y. High intrinsic hydrolytic activity of cyanobacterial RNA polymerase compensates for the absence of transcription proofreading factors. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:1341-1352. [PMID: 31840183 PMCID: PMC7026648 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of organisms possess transcription elongation factors, the functionally similar bacterial Gre and eukaryotic/archaeal TFIIS/TFS. Their main cellular functions are to proofread errors of transcription and to restart elongation via stimulation of RNA hydrolysis by the active centre of RNA polymerase (RNAP). However, a number of taxons lack these factors, including one of the largest and most ubiquitous groups of bacteria, cyanobacteria. Using cyanobacterial RNAP as a model, we investigated alternative mechanisms for maintaining a high fidelity of transcription and for RNAP arrest prevention. We found that this RNAP has very high intrinsic proofreading activity, resulting in nearly as low a level of in vivo mistakes in RNA as Escherichia coli. Features of the cyanobacterial RNAP hydrolysis are reminiscent of the Gre-assisted reaction—the energetic barrier is similarly low, and the reaction involves water activation by a general base. This RNAP is resistant to ubiquitous and most regulatory pausing signals, decreasing the probability to go off-pathway and thus fall into arrest. We suggest that cyanobacterial RNAP has a specific Trigger Loop domain conformation, and isomerises easier into a hydrolytically proficient state, possibly aided by the RNA 3′-end. Cyanobacteria likely passed these features of transcription to their evolutionary descendants, chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Riaz-Bradley
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Katherine James
- Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK.,Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Yulia Yuzenkova
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
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9
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Agapov A, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Gre-family factors modulate DNA damage sensing by Deinococcus radiodurans RNA polymerase. RNA Biol 2019; 16:1711-1720. [PMID: 31416390 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2019.1656027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Deinococcus radiodurans is a highly stress resistant bacterium that encodes universal as well as lineage-specific factors involved in DNA transcription and repair. However, the effects of DNA lesions on RNA synthesis by D. radiodurans RNA polymerase (RNAP) have never been studied. We investigated the ability of this RNAP to transcribe damaged DNA templates and demonstrated that various lesions significantly affect the efficiency and fidelity of RNA synthesis. DNA modifications that disrupt correct base-pairing can strongly inhibit transcription and increase nucleotide misincorporation by D. radiodurans RNAP. The universal transcription factor GreA and Deinococcus-specific factor Gfh1 stimulate RNAP stalling at various DNA lesions, depending on the type of the lesion and the presence of Mn2+ ions, abundant divalent cations in D. radiodurans. Furthermore, Gfh1 stimulates the action of the Mfd translocase, which removes transcription elongation complexes paused at the sites of DNA lesions. Thus, Gre-family factors in D. radiodurans might have evolved to increase the efficiency of DNA damage recognition by the transcription and repair machineries in this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Agapov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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10
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Belogurov GA, Artsimovitch I. The Mechanisms of Substrate Selection, Catalysis, and Translocation by the Elongating RNA Polymerase. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:3975-4006. [PMID: 31153902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Multi-subunit DNA-dependent RNA polymerases synthesize all classes of cellular RNAs, ranging from short regulatory transcripts to gigantic messenger RNAs. RNA polymerase has to make each RNA product in just one try, even if it takes millions of successive nucleotide addition steps. During each step, RNA polymerase selects a correct substrate, adds it to a growing chain, and moves one nucleotide forward before repeating the cycle. However, RNA synthesis is anything but monotonous: RNA polymerase frequently pauses upon encountering mechanical, chemical and torsional barriers, sometimes stepping back and cleaving off nucleotides from the growing RNA chain. A picture in which these intermittent dynamics enable processive, accurate, and controllable RNA synthesis is emerging from complementary structural, biochemical, computational, and single-molecule studies. Here, we summarize our current understanding of the mechanism and regulation of the on-pathway transcription elongation. We review the details of substrate selection, catalysis, proofreading, and translocation, focusing on rate-limiting steps, structural elements that modulate them, and accessory proteins that appear to control RNA polymerase translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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11
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Pupov D, Ignatov A, Agapov A, Kulbachinskiy A. Distinct effects of DNA lesions on RNA synthesis by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 510:122-127. [PMID: 30665719 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.01.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
DNA lesions can severely compromise genome stability and lead to cell death if unrepaired. RNA polymerase (RNAP) is known to serve as a sensor of DNA damage and to attract DNA repair factors to the damaged template sites. Here, we systematically investigated the ability of Escherichia coli RNAP to transcribe DNA templates containing various types of DNA lesions, and analyzed their effects on transcription fidelity. We showed that transcription is strongly inhibited on templates containing cyclobutane thymine dimers, 1,N6-ethenoadenine and abasic sites, while 8-oxoguanine and thymine glycol have mild effects on transcription efficiency. Similarly to many polymerases, E. coli RNAP follows the "A" rule during nucleotide insertion opposite abasic sites and bulky lesions, and can also incorporate and efficiently extend an adenine nucleotide opposite 8-oxoguanine. Mutations in RNAP regions around the templating nucleotide decrease the efficiency of translesion synthesis, likely by altering the RNAP-template contacts in the active site. Thus, DNA lesions can lead to distinct outcomes in transcription, depending on the severity of the damage and contacts of the damaged template with the active site of RNAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danil Pupov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Artem Ignatov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Aleksei Agapov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123182, Russia.
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12
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Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Interactions in the active site of Deinococcus radiodurans RNA polymerase during RNA proofreading. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 509:161-166. [PMID: 30579600 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.12.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Co-transcriptional RNA proofreading by RNA polymerase (RNAP) is essential for accurate mRNA synthesis and reactivation of stalled transcription complexes, which can otherwise compromise genome integrity. RNAP from the stress-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans exhibits high levels of RNA cleavage in comparison with RNAP from Escherichia coli, which allows it to remove misincorporated nucleotides with high efficiency. Here, we show that the rate of RNA cleavage by D. radiodurans RNAP depends on the structure of the (mis)matched RNA 3'-nucleotide and its contacts with the active site. These interactions likely position the reactive phosphodiester bond in the cleavage-competent conformation, thus facilitating its hydrolysis catalyzed by metal ions in the active center. The universal RNA cleavage factor GreA largely alleviates defects in RNA cleavage caused by modifications in the RNA 3'-nucleotide or in its binding pocket in RNAP, suggesting that GreA functionally substitutes for these contacts. The results demonstrate that various RNAPs rely on a conserved mechanism for RNA proofreading, which can be modulated by changes in accessory parts of the active center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 123182, Russia.
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 123182, Russia.
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13
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Turtola M, Mäkinen JJ, Belogurov GA. Active site closure stabilizes the backtracked state of RNA polymerase. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:10870-10887. [PMID: 30256972 PMCID: PMC6237748 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
All cellular RNA polymerases (RNAP) occasionally backtrack along the template DNA as part of transcriptional proofreading and regulation. Here, we studied the mechanism of RNAP backtracking by one nucleotide using two complementary approaches that allowed us to precisely measure the occupancy and lifetime of the backtracked state. Our data show that the stability of the backtracked state is critically dependent on the closure of the RNAP active site by a mobile domain, the trigger loop (TL). The lifetime and occupancy of the backtracked state measurably decreased by substitutions of the TL residues that interact with the nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) substrate, whereas amino acid substitutions that stabilized the closed active site increased the lifetime and occupancy. These results suggest that the same conformer of the TL closes the active site during catalysis of nucleotide incorporation into the nascent RNA and backtracking by one nucleotide. In support of this hypothesis, we construct a model of the 1-nt backtracked complex with the closed active site and the backtracked nucleotide in the entry pore area known as the E-site. We further propose that 1-nt backtracking mimics the reversal of the NTP substrate loading into the RNAP active site during on-pathway elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matti Turtola
- University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Janne J Mäkinen
- University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland
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14
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Klimuk E, Bogdanova E, Nagornykh M, Rodic A, Djordjevic M, Medvedeva S, Pavlova O, Severinov K. Controller protein of restriction-modification system Kpn2I affects transcription of its gene by acting as a transcription elongation roadblock. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:10810-10826. [PMID: 30295835 PMCID: PMC6237814 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
C-proteins control restriction-modification (R-M) systems' genes transcription to ensure sufficient levels of restriction endonuclease to allow protection from foreign DNA while avoiding its modification by excess methyltransferase. Here, we characterize transcription regulation in C-protein dependent R-M system Kpn2I. The Kpn2I restriction endonuclease gene is transcribed from a constitutive, weak promoter, which, atypically, is C-protein independent. Kpn2I C-protein (C.Kpn2I) binds upstream of the strong methyltransferase gene promoter and inhibits it, likely by preventing the interaction of the RNA polymerase sigma subunit with the -35 consensus element. Diminished transcription from the methyltransferase promoter increases transcription from overlapping divergent C-protein gene promoters. All known C-proteins affect transcription initiation from R-M genes promoters. Uniquely, the C.Kpn2I binding site is located within the coding region of its gene. C.Kpn2I acts as a roadblock stalling elongating RNA polymerase and decreasing production of full-length C.Kpn2I mRNA. Mathematical modeling shows that this unusual mode of regulation leads to the same dynamics of accumulation of R-M gene transcripts as observed in systems where C-proteins act at transcription initiation stage only. Bioinformatics analyses suggest that transcription regulation through binding of C.Kpn2I-like proteins within the coding regions of their genes may be widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Klimuk
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Max Nagornykh
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Puschino, Russia
| | - Andjela Rodic
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Sofia Medvedeva
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia
| | - Olga Pavlova
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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15
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Sivaramakrishnan P, Gordon AJE, Halliday JA, Herman C. How Acts of Infidelity Promote DNA Break Repair: Collision and Collusion Between DNA Repair and Transcription. Bioessays 2018; 40:e1800045. [PMID: 30091472 PMCID: PMC6334755 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Transcription is a fundamental cellular process and the first step in gene regulation. Although RNA polymerase (RNAP) is highly processive, in growing cells the progression of transcription can be hindered by obstacles on the DNA template, such as damaged DNA. The authors recent findings highlight a trade-off between transcription fidelity and DNA break repair. While a lot of work has focused on the interaction between transcription and nucleotide excision repair, less is known about how transcription influences the repair of DNA breaks. The authors suggest that when the cell experiences stress from DNA breaks, the control of RNAP processivity affects the balance between preserving transcription integrity and DNA repair. Here, how the conflict between transcription and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair threatens the integrity of both RNA and DNA are discussed. In reviewing this field, the authors speculate on cellular paradigms where this equilibrium is well sustained, and instances where the maintenance of transcription fidelity is favored over genome stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Sivaramakrishnan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alasdair J E Gordon
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jennifer A Halliday
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Christophe Herman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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16
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Atitey K, Loskot P, Rees P. Determining the Transcription Rates Yielding Steady-State Production of mRNA in the Lac Genetic Switch of Escherichia coli. J Comput Biol 2018; 25:1023-1039. [PMID: 29957031 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2018.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To elucidate the regulatory dynamics of the gene expression activation and inactivation, an in silico biochemical model of the lac circuit in Escherichia coli was used to evaluate the transcription rates that yield the steady-state mRNA production in active and inactive states of the lac circuit. This result can be used in synthetic biology applications to understand the limits of the genetic synthesis. Since most genetic networks involve many interconnected components with positive and negative feedback control, intuitive understanding of their dynamics is often difficult to obtain. Although the kinetic model of the lac circuit considered involves only a single positive feedback, the developed computational framework can be used to evaluate supported ranges of other reaction rates in genetic circuits with more complex regulatory networks. More specifically, the inducible lac gene switch in E. coli is regulated by unbinding and binding of the inducer-repressor complexes to or from the DNA operator to switch the gene expression on and off. The dependency of mRNA production at steady state on different transcription rates and the repressor complexes has been studied by computer simulations in the Lattice Microbe software. Provided that the lac circuit is in active state, the transcription rate is independent of the inducer-repressor complexes present in the cell. In inactive state, the transcription rate is dependent on the specific inducer-repressor complex bound to the operator that inactivates the gene expression. We found that the repressor complex with the largest affinity to the operator yields the smallest range of the feasible transcription rates to yield the steady state while the lac circuit is in inactive state. In contrast, the steady state in active state can be obtained for any value of the transcription rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komlan Atitey
- College of Engineering, Swansea University , Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Pavel Loskot
- College of Engineering, Swansea University , Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Rees
- College of Engineering, Swansea University , Swansea, United Kingdom
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17
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Transcription fidelity and its roles in the cell. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 42:13-18. [PMID: 28968546 PMCID: PMC5904569 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Trigger Loop is one of the major determinants of transcription fidelity. Intrinsic proofreading occurs via transcript-assisted cleavage. Factor-assisted proofreading takes place via exchange of RNAP active centres. Misincorporation is a major source of transcription pausing. Another role of fidelity is the prevention of conflicts with other cellular processes.
Accuracy of transcription is essential for productive gene expression, and the past decade has brought new understanding of the mechanisms ensuring transcription fidelity. The discovery of a new catalytic domain, the Trigger Loop, revealed that RNA polymerase can actively choose the correct substrates. Also, the intrinsic proofreading activity was found to proceed via a ribozyme-like mechanism, whereby the erroneous nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) helps its own excision. Factor-assisted proofreading was shown to proceed through an exchange of active centres, a unique phenomenon among proteinaceous enzymes. Furthermore, most recent in vivo studies have revised the roles of transcription accuracy and proofreading factors, as not only required for production of errorless RNAs, but also for prevention of frequent misincorporation-induced pausing that may cause conflicts with fellow RNA polymerases and the replication machinery.
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18
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Trigger loop of RNA polymerase is a positional, not acid-base, catalyst for both transcription and proofreading. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E5103-E5112. [PMID: 28607053 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1702383114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The active site of multisubunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs) is highly conserved from humans to bacteria. This single site catalyzes both nucleotide addition required for RNA transcript synthesis and excision of incorrect nucleotides after misincorporation as a proofreading mechanism. Phosphoryl transfer and proofreading hydrolysis are controlled in part by a dynamic RNAP component called the trigger loop (TL), which cycles between an unfolded loop and an α-helical hairpin [trigger helices (TH)] required for rapid nucleotide addition. The precise roles of the TL/TH in RNA synthesis and hydrolysis remain unclear. An invariant histidine residue has been proposed to function in the TH form as a general acid in RNA synthesis and as a general base in RNA hydrolysis. The effects of conservative, nonionizable substitutions of the TL histidine (or a neighboring TL arginine conserved in bacteria) have not yet been rigorously tested. Here, we report that glutamine substitutions of these residues, which preserve polar interactions but are incapable of acid-base chemistry, had little effect on either phosphoryl transfer or proofreading hydrolysis by Escherichia coli RNAP. The TL substitutions did, however, affect the backtracking of RNAP necessary for proofreading and potentially the reactivity of the backtracked nucleotide. We describe a unifying model for the function of the RNAP TL, which reconciles available data and our results for representative RNAPs. This model explains diverse effects of the TL basic residues on catalysis through their effects on positioning reactants for phosphoryl transfer and easing barriers to transcript backtracking, rather than as acid-base catalysts.
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19
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Agapov A, Olina A, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Gfh factors and NusA cooperate to stimulate transcriptional pausing and termination. FEBS Lett 2017; 591:946-953. [PMID: 28236657 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Lineage-specific Gfh factors from the radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, which bind within the secondary channel of RNA polymerase, stimulate transcriptional pausing at a wide range of pause signals (elemental, hairpin-dependent, post-translocated, backtracking-dependent, and consensus pauses) and increase intrinsic termination. Universal bacterial factor NusA, which binds near the RNA exit channel, enhances the effects of Gfh factors on termination and hairpin-dependent pausing but do not act on other pause sites. It is proposed that NusA and Gfh target different steps in the pausing pathway and may act together to regulate transcription under stress conditions. Thus, transcription factors that interact with nascent RNA in the RNA exit channel can communicate with secondary channel regulators to modulate RNA polymerase activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Agapov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Russia
| | - Anna Olina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Plant Physiology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Russia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Molecular Biology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Russia
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20
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Miropolskaya N, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Conserved functions of the trigger loop and Gre factors in RNA cleavage by bacterial RNA polymerases. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:6744-6752. [PMID: 28242762 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.766592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA cleavage by RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the central step in co-transcriptional RNA proofreading. Bacterial RNAPs were proposed to rely on the same mobile element of the active site, the trigger loop (TL), for both nucleotide addition and RNA cleavage. RNA cleavage can also be stimulated by universal Gre factors, which should replace the TL to get access to the RNAP active site. The contributions of the TL and Gre factors to RNA cleavage reportedly vary between RNAPs from different bacterial species and, probably, different types of transcription complexes. Here, by comparing RNAPs from Escherichia coli, Deinococcus radiodurans, and Thermus aquaticus, we show that the functions of the TL and Gre factors in RNA cleavage are conserved in various species, with important variations that may be related to extremophilic adaptation. Deletions of the TL strongly impair intrinsic RNA cleavage by all three RNAPs and eliminate the interspecies differences in the reaction rates. GreA factors activate RNA cleavage by wild-type RNAPs to similar levels. The rates of GreA-dependent cleavage are lower for ΔTL RNAP variants, suggesting that the TL contributes to the Gre function. Finally, neither the TL nor GreA can efficiently activate RNA cleavage in certain types of backtracked transcription complexes, suggesting that these complexes adopt a catalytically inactive conformation probably important for transcription regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Miropolskaya
- From the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square 2, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Daria Esyunina
- From the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square 2, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- From the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov Square 2, Moscow 123182, Russia
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21
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High-Resolution Phenotypic Landscape of the RNA Polymerase II Trigger Loop. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006321. [PMID: 27898685 PMCID: PMC5127505 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The active sites of multisubunit RNA polymerases have a “trigger loop” (TL) that multitasks in substrate selection, catalysis, and translocation. To dissect the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA polymerase II TL at individual-residue resolution, we quantitatively phenotyped nearly all TL single variants en masse. Three mutant classes, revealed by phenotypes linked to transcription defects or various stresses, have distinct distributions among TL residues. We find that mutations disrupting an intra-TL hydrophobic pocket, proposed to provide a mechanism for substrate-triggered TL folding through destabilization of a catalytically inactive TL state, confer phenotypes consistent with pocket disruption and increased catalysis. Furthermore, allele-specific genetic interactions among TL and TL-proximal domain residues support the contribution of the funnel and bridge helices (BH) to TL dynamics. Our structural genetics approach incorporates structural and phenotypic data for high-resolution dissection of transcription mechanisms and their evolution, and is readily applicable to other essential yeast proteins. Proper regulation of Pol II transcription, the first step of gene expression, is essential for life. Extensive evidence has revealed a widely conserved and dynamic polymerase active site component, termed the Trigger Loop (TL), in balancing transcription rate and fidelity while possibly allowing control of transcription elongation. Coupling high-throughput sequencing with our previously established genetic system, we are able to assess the in vivo phenotypes for almost all possible single substitution Pol II TL mutants in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that mutants in the TL nucleotide interacting and linker regions widely confer dominant and severe growth defects. Clustering of TL mutants’ transcription-related and general stress phenotypes reveals three main classes of TL mutants, including previously identified fast and slow elongating mutants. Comprehensive analyses of the distribution of fast and slow elongation mutants in light of existing Pol II crystal structures reveal critical regions contributing to proper TL dynamics and function. Evidence is presented linking a previously observed hydrophobic pocket to NTP substrate-induced TL closing, the mechanism critical for correct substrates selection and transcription fidelity. Finally, we assess the functional interplay between TL and its proximal domains, and their presumptive roles in the function and evolution of the TL. Utilizing the Pol II TL as a case study, we present a structural genetics approach that reveals insights into a complex, multi-functional, and essential domain in yeast.
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22
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Regulation of transcription initiation by Gfh factors from Deinococcus radiodurans. Biochem J 2016; 473:4493-4505. [PMID: 27754888 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors of the Gre family bind within the secondary channel of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) directly modulating its catalytic activities. Universally conserved Gre factors activate RNA cleavage by RNAP, by chelating catalytic metal ions in the RNAP active site, and facilitate both promoter escape and transcription elongation. Gfh factors are Deinococcus/Thermus-specific homologues of Gre factors whose transcription functions remain poorly understood. Recently, we found that Gfh1 and Gfh2 proteins from Deinococcus radiodurans dramatically stimulate RNAP pausing during transcription elongation in the presence of Mn2+, but not Mg2+, ions. In contrast, we show that Gfh1 and Gfh2 moderately inhibit transcription initiation in the presence of either Mg2+ or Mn2+ ions. By using a molecular beacon assay, we demonstrate that Gfh1 and Gfh2 do not significantly change promoter complex stability or the rate of promoter escape by D. radiodurans RNAP. At the same time, Gfh factors significantly increase the apparent KM value for the 5'-initiating nucleotide, without having major effects on the affinity of metal ions for the RNAP active site. Similar inhibitory effects of Gfh factors are observed for transcription initiation on promoters recognized by the principal and an alternative σ factor. In summary, our data suggest that D. radiodurans Gfh factors impair the binding of initiating substrates independently of the metal ions bound in the RNAP active site, but have only mild overall effects on transcription initiation. Thus the mechanisms of modulation of RNAP activity by these factors are different for various steps of transcription.
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23
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Regulation of transcriptional pausing through the secondary channel of RNA polymerase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:8699-704. [PMID: 27432968 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1603531113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional pausing has emerged as an essential mechanism of genetic regulation in both bacteria and eukaryotes, where it serves to coordinate transcription with other cellular processes and to activate or halt gene expression rapidly in response to external stimuli. Deinococcus radiodurans, a highly radioresistant and stress-resistant bacterium, encodes three members of the Gre family of transcription factors: GreA and two Gre factor homologs, Gfh1 and Gfh2. Whereas GreA is a universal bacterial factor that stimulates RNA cleavage by RNA polymerase (RNAP), the functions of lineage-specific Gfh proteins remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that these proteins, which bind within the RNAP secondary channel, strongly enhance site-specific transcriptional pausing and intrinsic termination. Uniquely, the pause-stimulatory activity of Gfh proteins depends on the nature of divalent ions (Mg(2+) or Mn(2+)) present in the reaction and is also modulated by the nascent RNA structure and the trigger loop in the RNAP active site. Our data reveal remarkable plasticity of the RNAP active site in response to various regulatory stimuli and highlight functional diversity of transcription factors that bind inside the secondary channel of RNAP.
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