Differential expression of oocyte-type class III genes with fraction TFIIIC from immature or mature oocytes

RNA Polymerase III Advances: Structural and tRNA Functional Views

RNA synthesis in eukaryotes is divided among three RNA polymerases (RNAPs). RNAP III transcribes hundreds of tRNA genes and fewer additional short RNA genes. We survey recent work on transcription by RNAP III including an atomic structure, mechanisms of action, interactions with chromatin and retroposons, and a conserved link between its activity and a tRNA modification that enhances mRNA decoding. Other new work suggests important mechanistic connections to oxidative stress, autoimmunity and cancer, embryonic stem cell pluripotency, and tissue-specific developmental effects. We consider that, for some of its complex functions, variation in RNAP III activity levels lead to nonuniform changes in tRNAs that can shift the translation profiles of key codon-biased mRNAs with resultant phenotypes or disease states.

Silkworm TFIIIB binds both constitutive and silk gland-specific tRNA Ala promoters but protects only the constitutive promoter from DNase I cleavage

We have identified a complex between TFIIIB and the upstream promoter of silkworm tRNA Ala genes that is detectable by gel retardation and DNase I footprinting. Formation of this complex depends on the integrity of previously identified upstream promoter elements and on the presence of other silkworm transcription factors, either TFIIID or a fraction that contains both TFIIIC and TFIIID. We have used this complex to compare the interactions of TFIIIB with two kinds of tRNA Ala genes whose different in vitro transcription properties are conferred by the upstream segments of their promoters. These are the tRNA C Ala genes, which are transcribed constitutively, and the tRNA SG Ala genes, which are transcribed only in the silk gland. We find that TFIIIB binds tRNA SG Ala genes with lower affinity than it binds tRNA C Ala genes. In addition, the TFIIIB complex formed on tRNA SG Ala genes differ qualitatively from those formed on tRNA C Ala genes. Both the transcriptional activity of tRNA SG Ala complexes and the ability of the complexes to protect upstream DNA from DNase I digestion are reduced.

The activity of transcription factor PBP, which binds to the proximal sequence element of mammalian U6 genes, is regulated during differentiation of F9 cells

Mouse F9 embryonic carcinoma (EC) cells differentiate in culture to parietal endoderm (PE) cells upon induction with retinoic acid and cyclic AMP. In the course of this process, the expression of polymerase III transcripts, e.g., 5S rRNA and U6 small nuclear RNA, is dramatically reduced. This reduction of endogenous RNA content is accompanied by a loss of transcriptional capacity in cell extracts from PE cells. Partial purification of such extracts reveals that the DNA-binding activity of transcription factor PBP, binding specifically to the proximal sequence element (PSE) sequence of vertebrate U6 genes, is significantly reduced. This finding is corroborated by a loss in the transcriptional activity of this factor in reconstitution assays with partially purified polymerase III transcription components. In contrast, the activity of TFIIIA and TFIIIB and the amount of free TATA-binding protein remain unchanged during the differentiation process analyzed here. These data show for the first time that the PSE-binding protein PBP is essentially involved in the differential regulation of polymerase III genes governed by external promoters.

Silk gland-specific tRNA(Ala) genes interact more weakly than constitutive tRNA(Ala) genes with silkworm TFIIIB and polymerase III fractions

Constitutive and silk gland-specific tRNA(Ala) genes from silkworms have very different transcriptional properties in vitro. Typically, the constitutive type, which encodes tRNA(AlaC), directs transcription much more efficiently than does the silk gland-specific type, which encodes tRNA(AlaSG). We think that the inefficiency of the tRNA(AlaCG) gene underlies its capacity to be turned off in non-silk gland cells. An economical model is that the tRNA(AlaSG) promoter interacts poorly, relative to the tRNA(AlaC) promoter, with one or more components of the basal transcription machinery. As a consequence, the tRNA(AlaSG) gene directs the formation of fewer transcription complexes or of complexes with reduced cycling ability. Here we show that the difference in the number of active transcription complexes accounts for the difference in tRNA(AlaC) and tRNA(AlaSG) transcription rates. To determine whether a particular component of the silkworm transcription machinery is responsible for reduced complex formation on the tRNA(AlaSG) gene, we measured competition by templates for defined fractions of this machinery. We find that the tRNA(AlaSG) gene is greatly impaired, in comparison with the tRNA(AlaC) gene, in competition for either TFIIIB or RNA polymerase III. Competition for each of these fractions is also strongly influenced by the nature of the 5' flanking sequence, the promoter element responsible for the distinctive transcriptional properties of tRNA(AlaSG) and tRNA(AlaC) genes. These results suggest that differential interaction with TFIIIB or RNA polymerase III is a critical functional distinction between these genes.

Silk gland-specific tRNA(Ala) genes interact more weakly than constitutive tRNA(Ala) genes with silkworm TFIIIB and polymerase III fractions

Constitutive and silk gland-specific tRNA(Ala) genes from silkworms have very different transcriptional properties in vitro. Typically, the constitutive type, which encodes tRNA(AlaC), directs transcription much more efficiently than does the silk gland-specific type, which encodes tRNA(AlaSG). We think that the inefficiency of the tRNA(AlaCG) gene underlies its capacity to be turned off in non-silk gland cells. An economical model is that the tRNA(AlaSG) promoter interacts poorly, relative to the tRNA(AlaC) promoter, with one or more components of the basal transcription machinery. As a consequence, the tRNA(AlaSG) gene directs the formation of fewer transcription complexes or of complexes with reduced cycling ability. Here we show that the difference in the number of active transcription complexes accounts for the difference in tRNA(AlaC) and tRNA(AlaSG) transcription rates. To determine whether a particular component of the silkworm transcription machinery is responsible for reduced complex formation on the tRNA(AlaSG) gene, we measured competition by templates for defined fractions of this machinery. We find that the tRNA(AlaSG) gene is greatly impaired, in comparison with the tRNA(AlaC) gene, in competition for either TFIIIB or RNA polymerase III. Competition for each of these fractions is also strongly influenced by the nature of the 5' flanking sequence, the promoter element responsible for the distinctive transcriptional properties of tRNA(AlaSG) and tRNA(AlaC) genes. These results suggest that differential interaction with TFIIIB or RNA polymerase III is a critical functional distinction between these genes.

Induction of Drosophila RNA polymerase III gene expression by the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is mediated by transcription factor IIIB

We have previously found that the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induces specific transcription of tRNA and 5S RNA genes in Drosophila Schneider S-2 cells (M. Garber, S. Panchanathan, R. F. Fan, and D. L. Johnson, J. Biol. Chem. 266:20598-20601, 1991). Having derived cellular extracts from TPA-treated cells, that are capable of reproducing this stimulation in vitro, we have examined the mechanism for this regulatory event. Using conditions that limit reinitiation and produce single rounds of transcription from active gene complexes, we find that the number of functional transcription complexes is increased in extracts prepared from TPA-induced cells. We have analyzed the activities of the transcription factors TFIIIB and TFIIIC derived from extracts prepared from TPA-induced and noninduced cells. Examination of the relative activities of TFIIIC showed that both its ability to reconstitute transcription with TFIIIB and RNA polymerase III and its ability to stably bind to the DNA template are unchanged. However, the activity of TFIIIB derived from the TPA-induced cells is substantially increased compared with that derived from the noninduced cells. The differences in TFIIIB activity account for the differences in the overall transcriptional activities observed in the unfractionated extracts. Western blot analysis of the TATA-binding protein subunit of TFIIIB revealed that there is an increase in the amount of this polypeptide present in the induced cell extracts and TFIIIB fraction. Together, these results indicate that the TPA response in Drosophila cells stimulates specific transcription of RNA polymerase III genes by increasing the activity of the limiting transcription component, TFIIIB, and thereby increasing the number of functional transcription complexes.

Alu sequence involvement in transcriptional insulation of the keratin 18 gene in transgenic mice

The human keratin 18 (K18) gene is expressed in a variety of adult simple epithelial tissues, including liver, intestine, lung, and kidney, but is not normally found in skin, muscle, heart, spleen, or most of the brain. Transgenic animals derived from the cloned K18 gene express the transgene in appropriate tissues at levels directly proportional to the copy number and independently of the sites of integration. We have investigated in transgenic mice the dependence of K18 gene expression on the distal 5' and 3' flanking sequences and upon the RNA polymerase III promoter of an Alu repetitive DNA transcription unit immediately upstream of the K18 promoter. Integration site-independent expression of tandemly duplicated K18 transgenes requires the presence of either an 825-bp fragment of the 5' flanking sequence or the 3.5-kb 3' flanking sequence. Mutation of the RNA polymerase III promoter of the Alu element within the 825-bp fragment abolishes copy number-dependent expression in kidney but does not abolish integration site-independent expression when assayed in the absence of the 3' flanking sequence of the K18 gene. The characteristics of integration site-independent expression and copy number-dependent expression are separable. In addition, the formation of the chromatin state of the K18 gene, which likely restricts the tissue-specific expression of this gene, is not dependent upon the distal flanking sequences of the 10-kb K18 gene but rather may depend on internal regulatory regions of the gene.

Alu sequence involvement in transcriptional insulation of the keratin 18 gene in transgenic mice

The human keratin 18 (K18) gene is expressed in a variety of adult simple epithelial tissues, including liver, intestine, lung, and kidney, but is not normally found in skin, muscle, heart, spleen, or most of the brain. Transgenic animals derived from the cloned K18 gene express the transgene in appropriate tissues at levels directly proportional to the copy number and independently of the sites of integration. We have investigated in transgenic mice the dependence of K18 gene expression on the distal 5' and 3' flanking sequences and upon the RNA polymerase III promoter of an Alu repetitive DNA transcription unit immediately upstream of the K18 promoter. Integration site-independent expression of tandemly duplicated K18 transgenes requires the presence of either an 825-bp fragment of the 5' flanking sequence or the 3.5-kb 3' flanking sequence. Mutation of the RNA polymerase III promoter of the Alu element within the 825-bp fragment abolishes copy number-dependent expression in kidney but does not abolish integration site-independent expression when assayed in the absence of the 3' flanking sequence of the K18 gene. The characteristics of integration site-independent expression and copy number-dependent expression are separable. In addition, the formation of the chromatin state of the K18 gene, which likely restricts the tissue-specific expression of this gene, is not dependent upon the distal flanking sequences of the 10-kb K18 gene but rather may depend on internal regulatory regions of the gene.

The tyrosine phosphatase cdc25 selectively inhibits transcription of the Xenopus oocyte-type tRNAtyrC gene

The Xenopus tyrosine tRNAtyrC (TyrC) genes are developmentally regulated. These multicopy genes are expressed in early oocytes and inactivated as oocytes reach maturity. As shown here, this developmental regulation can be reproduced in vitro in extracts of early and late stage oocytes: the TyrC gene is transcribed in early oocyte extracts but is virtually inactive in mature oocyte extracts. The inability to transcribe the TyrC gene is not due to the lack of functional pol III transcriptional components, since the somatic-type TyrD gene is fully active in mature oocyte extracts. Instead, the loss of TyrC transcription appears to be due to a change in the template specificity of transcription factor TFIIIC: addition of TFIIIC from immature extracts restores TyrC transcription in mature extracts. In mixtures of immature and mature extracts, the transcriptional activity of the TyrC gene is reduced. The presence of sodium vanadate, an inhibitor of tyrosine phosphatases, increases the level of TyrC transcription in the extract mixtures. Also, cdc25 phosphatase treatment of immature extracts causes a decrease in TyrC transcription which is reversed by addition of exogenous TFIIIC. These findings indicate that changes in phosphorylation state alters the template specificity of TFIIIC leading to the selective inactivation of oocyte type TyrC genes.

The PCF1-1 mutation increases the activity of the transcription factor (TF) IIIB fraction from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PCF1-1 is a dominant suppressor of a tRNA gene A block promoter mutation (A19) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Transcriptional activation by PCF1-1 was examined in vitro using whole-cell extracts and purified factors derived from mutant and wild-type strains. These experiments show that PCF1 is a general activator of RNA polymerase III (pol III) gene transcription. The transcription of all pol III genes analyzed to date, including type I and numerous type II genes, is increased 3-7 fold in mutant cell extracts. Single round transcription assays indicate that the PCF1-1 mutation increases the number of functional preinitiation complexes and suggest that this is achieved by increasing the intrinsic activity of the encoded product rather than its amount. Point mutations throughout the A block of the sup3-e gene and numerous B block mutations fail to abolish transcriptional activation suggesting that interactions between TFIIIC and the internal promoter are unaffected by PCF1-1. Moreover, TFIIIC purified from the mutant strain is incapable of conferring PCF1-1 transcriptional activity to a reaction in which the remaining components are wild-type. In contrast, the activity of the TFIIIB fraction is increased in PCF1-1 extracts and can reconstitute mutant levels of transcription when added to wild-type TFIIIC and polymerase. We conclude that PCF1 is a component or regulator of TFIIIB.