RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain required for enhancer-driven transcription

The RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) consists of tandem repeats of the sequence Tyr-Ser-Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser. The CTD may participate in activated transcription through interaction with a high-molecular-weight mediator complex. Such a role would be consistent with observations that som...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1995-04, Vol.374 (6523), p.660-662
Main Authors: Gerber, Hans-Peter, Hagmann, Michael, Seipel, Katja, Georgiev, Oleg, West, Marilyn A. L, Litingtung, Ying, Schaffner, Walter, Corden, Jeffry L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amanitins - pharmacology
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Base Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Biology
Cell Line
DNA - metabolism
Enhancer Elements, Genetic
Enzymes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
HeLa Cells
Humans
Mice
Molecular and cellular biology
Molecular genetics
Molecular Sequence Data
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
RNA Polymerase II - antagonists & inhibitors
RNA Polymerase II - metabolism
Rodents
Sequence Deletion
Sp1 Transcription Factor - metabolism
Transcription, Genetic
Transcription. Transcription factor. Splicing. Rna processing
Transfection
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Summary:The RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) consists of tandem repeats of the sequence Tyr-Ser-Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser. The CTD may participate in activated transcription through interaction with a high-molecular-weight mediator complex. Such a role would be consistent with observations that some genes are preferentially sensitive to CTD mutations. Here we investigate the function of the mouse RNA polymerase CTD in enhancer-driven transcription. Transcription by alpha-amanitin-resistant CTD-deletion mutants was tested by transient transfection of tissue culture cells in the presence of alpha-amanitin in order to inhibit endogenous RNA polymerase II. Removal of most of the CTD abolishes transcriptional activation by all enhancers tested, whereas transcription from promoters driven by Sp1, a factor that typically activates housekeeping genes from positions proximal to the initiation sites, is not affected. These findings show that the CTD is essential in mediating 'enhancer'-type activation of mammalian transcription.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/374660a0