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D Reinberg

Publications and source records attributed to D Reinberg.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Trajectory of DNA in the RNA polymerase II transcription preinitiation complex.

By using site-specific protein-DNA photocrosslinking, we define the positions of TATA-binding protein, transcription factor IIB, transcription factor IIF, and subunits of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) relative to promoter DNA within the human transcription preinitiation complex. The results indicate that the interface between the largest and second-largest subunits of RNAPII forms an extended, approximately 240 A channel that interacts with promoter DNA both upstream and downstream of the transcription start. By using electron microscopy, we show that RNAPII compacts promoter DNA by the equivalent of approximately 50 bp. Together with the published structure of RNAPII, the results indicate that RNAPII wraps DNA around its surface and suggest a specific model for the trajectory of the wrapped DNA.

Animals↗

Histone deacetylases and SAP18, a novel polypeptide, are components of a human Sin3 complex.

An important event in gene expression is the covalent modification of histone proteins. We have found that the mammalian transcriptional repressor Sin3 (mSin3) exists in a complex with histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC2. Consistent with the observation that mSin3-mediated repression of transcription involves the modification of histone polypeptides, we found that the mSin3-containing complex includes polypeptides that tether the mSin3 complex to core histone proteins. In addition, two novel mSin3-associated polypeptides, SAP18 and SAP30, were identified. We isolated a cDNA encoding human SAP18 and found that SAP18 is a component of an mSin3-containing complex in vivo. Moreover, we demonstrate a direct interaction between SAP18 and mSin3. SAP18 represses transcription in vivo when tethered to the promoter, consistent with the ability of SAP18 to interact with mSin3.

Animals↗

Affinity purification of a human RNA polymerase II complex using monoclonal antibodies against transcription factor IIF.

Five different monoclonal antibodies that immunoreact with RAP74, the large subunit of general transcription factor (TF) IIF, were produced and characterized. Using one of these antibodies, an affinity purification procedure was devised to isolate a human RNA polymerase II complex. This procedure is fast, simple, and reproducible and does not require extensive purification. The RNA polymerase II complex isolated using this procedure contains SRB (suppressor of RNA polymerase B) polypeptides, transcription factors IIE and IIF, limiting amounts of TFIIH, and the TATA-binding protein, but was devoid of TFIIB.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

RNA polymerase II stalled at a thymine dimer: footprint and effect on excision repair.

Bulky lesions in the template strand block the progression of RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) and are repaired more rapidly than lesions in the non-transcribed strand, which do not block transcription. In order to better understand the basis of this transcription-coupled repair we developed an in vitro system with purified transcription and nucleotide excision repair proteins and a plasmid containing the adenovirus major late promoter and a thymine dimer in the template strand downstream of the transcription start site. The footprint of RNAP II stalled at the thymine dimer, obtained using DNase I, lambda exonuclease and T4 polymerase 3'-->5'exonuclease, covers approximately 40 nt and is nearly symmetrical around the dimer. The ternary complex formed at the lesion site is rather stable, with a half-life of approximately 20 h. Surprisingly, addition of human repair proteins results in repair of transcription-blocking dimers in the ternary complex. The blocked polymerase neither inhibits nor stimulates repair and repair is observed in the absence of CSB protein, the putative human transcription-repair coupling factor.

Cell-Free System↗

The Dr1/DRAP1 heterodimer is a global repressor of transcription in vivo.

A general repressor extensively studied in vitro is the human Dr1/DRAP1 heterodimeric complex. To elucidate the function of Dr1 and DRAP1 in vivo, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Dr1/DRAP1 repressor complex was identified. The repressor complex is encoded by two essential genes, designated YDR1 and BUR6. The inviability associated with deletion of the yeast genes can be overcome by expressing the human genes. However, the human corepressor DRAP1 functions in yeast only when human Dr1 is coexpressed. The yDr1/Bur6 complex represses transcription in vitro in a reconstituted RNA polymerase II transcription system. Repression of transcription could be overcome by increasing the concentration of TATA-element binding protein (TBP). Consistent with the in vitro results, overexpression of YDR1 in vivo resulted in decreased mRNA accumulation. Furthermore, YDR1 overexpression impaired cell growth, an effect that could be rescued by overexpression of TBP. In agreement with our previous studies in vitro, we found that overexpression of Dr1 in vivo also affected the accumulation of RNA polymerase III transcripts, but not of RNA polymerase I transcripts. Our results demonstrate that Dr1 functions as a repressor of transcription in vivo and, moreover, directly targets TBP, a global regulator of transcription.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Transcription: why are TAFs essential?

The TAFs are transcription factors associated with the TATA-binding protein, and until recently they were assumed to link specific activators to the general transcription machinery. Recent results suggest that the essential functions of TAFs are not as coactivators of transcription but as determinants of promoter selectivity.

Animals↗

Functional dissection of a human Dr1-DRAP1 repressor complex.

The heterotetrameric Dr1-DRAP1 transcriptional repressor complex was functionally dissected. Dr1 was found to contain two domains required for repression of transcription. The tethering domain interacts with the TATA box binding protein and directs the repressor complex to the promoter. This tethering domain can be replaced by a domain conferring sequence-specific recognition to the repressor complex. In the absence of the tethering domain, Dr1 interacts with its corepressor DRAP1, but this interaction is not functional. The enhancement of Dr1-mediated repression of transcription by DRAP1 requires the tethering domain. The second domain of Dr1 is the repression domain, which is glutamine-alanine rich. A 65-amino-acid polypeptide containing the repression domain fused to the Ga14 DNA binding domain repressed transcription when directed to TATA-containing and TATA-less promoters. This repression domain was also found to functionally and directly interact with the TATA box binding protein.

Alanine↗

The human immunodeficiency virus transactivator Tat interacts with the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encodes a transcriptional transactivator (Tat), which binds to an RNA hairpin called the transactivation response element (TAR) that is located downstream of the site of initiation of viral transcription. Tat stimulates the production of full-length viral transcripts by RNA polymerase II (pol II). In this study, we demonstrate that Tat coimmunoprecipitates with the pol II holoenzyme in cells and that it binds to the purified holoenzyme in vitro. Furthermore, Tat affinity chromatography purifies a holoenzyme from HeLa nuclear extracts which, upon addition of TBP and TFIIB, supports Tat transactivation in vitro, indicating that it contains all the cellular proteins required for the function of Tat. By demonstrating that Tat interacts with the holoenzyme in the absence of TAR, our data suggest a single-step assembly of Tat and the transcription complex on the long terminal repeat of HIV.

Animals↗

Accurate positioning of RNA polymerase II on a natural TATA-less promoter is independent of TATA-binding-protein-associated factors and initiator-binding proteins.

Two promoter elements, the TATA element and initiator (Inr), are capable of directing specific transcription initiation of protein-encoding genes by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Although binding to the TATA element by the TATA-binding protein (TBP) has been shown to be the initial recognition step in transcription complex formation in vitro, the mechanism through which the basal machinery assembles into a functional complex on TATA-less promoters is controversial. Evidence supporting numerous models of Inr-mediated transcription complex formation exists, including the nucleation of a complex by Inr-binding proteins, a component of the TFIID complex, or a specific upstream activator common to many TATA-less promoters, Sp1. Using various techniques, we have undertaken a systematic analysis of the natural TATA-less human DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) gene promoter. Although the beta-pol promoter contains upstream Sp1 elements and a functional Inr that binds YY1, neither of these factors is essential for Inr-mediated transcription complex formation. A complex containing TBP, TFIIB, TFIIF, and RNAPII (DBPolF complex) is capable of forming on the promoter in an Inr-dependent manner. A single point mutation within the Inr that affects DBPolF complex formation diminishes beta-pol transcriptional activity.

Binding Sites↗

High-resolution mapping of nucleoprotein complexes by site-specific protein-DNA photocrosslinking: organization of the human TBP-TFIIA-TFIIB-DNA quaternary complex.

We have used a novel site-specific protein-DNA photocrosslinking procedure to define the positions of polypeptide chains relative to promoter DNA in binary, ternary, and quaternary complexes containing human TATA-binding protein, human or yeast transcription factor IIA (TFIIA), human transcription factor IIB (TFIIB), and promoter DNA. The results indicate that TFIIA and TFIIB make more extensive interactions with promoter DNA than previously anticipated. TATA-binding protein, TFIIA, and TFIIB surround promoter DNA for two turns of DNA helix and thus may form a "cylindrical clamp" effectively topologically linked to promoter DNA. Our results have implications for the energetics, DNA-sequence-specificity, and pathway of assembly of eukaryotic transcription complexes.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

Human cyclin-dependent kinase-activating kinase exists in three distinct complexes.

Transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) is a multisubunit complex required for transcription and for DNA nucleotide excision repair. TFIIH possesses three enzymatic activities: (i) an ATP-dependent DNA helicase, (ii) a DNA-dependent ATPase, and (iii) a kinase with specificity for the carboxyl-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. The kinase activity was recently identified as the cdk (cyclin-dependent kinase) activating kinase, CAK, composed of cdk7, cyclin H, and MAT-1. Here we report the isolation and characterization of three distinct CAK-containing complexes from HeLa nuclear extracts: CAK, a novel CAK-ERCC2 complex, and TFIIH. CAK-ERCC2 can efficiently associate with core-TFIIH to reconstitute holo-TFIIH transcription activity. We present evidence proposing a critical role for ERCC2 in mediating the association of CAK with core TFIIH subunits.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinases↗

Separation of the transcriptional coactivator and antirepression functions of transcription factor IIA.

Human transcription factor IIA (TFIIA) is composed of three subunits (alpha, beta, and gamma). TFIIA interacts with the TATA-box binding protein and can overcome repression of transcription. TFIIA was found to be necessary for VP16-mediated transcriptional activation through a coactivator function. We have separated the coactivator and antirepression activities of TFIIA. A TFIIA lacking the alpha subunit was isolated from HeLa cells. This "mini-TFIIA" interacts with the TATA-box binding protein and can overcome repression of transcription, but it is defective in transcriptional coactivator function.

DNA-Binding Proteins↗

A human RNA polymerase II complex associated with SRB and DNA-repair proteins.

We report here the isolation of a human RNA polymerase II complex containing a subset of the basal transcription factors and the human homologues of the yeast SRB (for suppressors of RNA polymerase B) proteins. The complex contains transcriptional coactivators and increases the activation of transcription. In addition, some components of the RNA polymerase II complex participate in DNA repair.

Chromatography, Affinity↗

Requirement of a corepressor for Dr1-mediated repression of transcription.

A Dr1-associated polypeptide (DRAP1) was isolated from HeLa cells and found to function as a corepressor of transcription. Corepressor function requires an interaction between DRAP1 and Dr1. Heterodimer formation was dependent on a histone fold motif present at the amino terminus of both polypeptides. Association of DRAP1 with Dr1 results in higher stability of the Dr1-TBP-TATA motif complex and precluded the entry of TFIIA and/or TFIIB to preinitiation complexes. DRAP1 was found to be expressed in all tissues analyzed with higher levels in tissues with a low mitotic index. Analysis of DRAP1 in the developing brain of rat demonstrated undetectable levels of DRAP1 in actively dividing cells but high levels of DRAP1 expression in differentiated non dividing cells. Dr1 was immunodetected in all cells analyzed. A model for DRAP1-dependent, Dr1-mediated repression of transcription is proposed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Protein-protein interactions in eukaryotic transcription initiation: structure of the preinitiation complex.

We have used alanine scanning to analyze protein-protein interactions by human TATA-element binding protein (TBP) within the transcription preinitiation complex. The results indicate that TBP interacts with RNA polymerase II and general transcription factors IIA, IIB, and IIF within the functional transcription preinitiation complex and define the determinants of TBP for each of these interactions. The results permit construction of a model for the structure of the preinitiation complex.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

Requirement for TFIIH kinase activity in transcription by RNA polymerase II.

An array of tandem heptapeptide repeats at the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II constitute a highly conserved structure essential for viability. Studies have established that the CTD is phosphorylated at different stages of the transcription cycle, and that it may be involved in transcriptional regulation. The exact role of the CTD remains elusive, as in vitro reconstituted transcription using the adenovirus major late promoter does not require the CTD. Previous studies showed that transcription from the murine dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) promoter can be only accomplished by the form of RNA polymerase II that contains the hypophosphorylated CTD (RNAPIIA), but not by the form that lacks it (RNAPIIB). Here we show that the CTD, but not its phosphorylation, is required for initiation of transcription. We also show that transcription requires CTD kinase activity provided by the CDK subunit of TFIIH.

Adenoviridae↗