Gene looping facilitates TFIIH kinase-mediated termination of transcription

Protein-interaction network analysis reveals a role of Prp19 splicing factor in transcription of both intron-containing and intron-lacking genes

We have previously demonstrated that the transcription-dependent interaction of the promoter and terminator ends of a gene, which results in the formation of a gene loop, is facilitated by the interaction of the general transcription factor TFIIB with the CF1, CPF and Rat1 termination complexes. To further elucidate the protein-protein interactions that stabilize gene loop, we performed mass spectrometry of affinity purified termination complexes from chromatin fraction. Quantitative proteomic analysis revealed additional interactions of termination factors with TFIID and SAGA complex. Since gene looping of intron-containing genes involves additional contacts of the promoter and terminator with the intron, we examined if termination factors interact with the splicing factors as well. All three termination complexes displayed statistically significant interactions with Prp19, Prp43, Sub2, Snu114, Brr2 and Smb1 splicing factors. Since Prp43 and Prp19 consistently emerged as the interactor of both initiation and termination factors, we affinity-purified both and performed mass spectrometry. Prp19 exhibited interactions with subunits of TFIID, CPF complex, and the RSC chromatin remodeling complex. These interactions were observed exclusively in the chromatin context, thereby implicating the factor in transcription of protein coding genes. Since fewer than 4% of yeast genes contain introns, we hypothesized that Prp19 might have a broader role in RNAPII transcription cycle. Auxin-mediated depletion of Prp19 resulted in about two-fold decrease in transcription of a subset of both intron-containing and intron-lacking genes. Specifically, the promoter recruitment of TBP registered a significant decline in the absence of Prp19. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis revealed crosslinking of Prp19 to the promoter proximal as well as downstream regions of both intronic and non-intronic genes. These findings demonstrate that Prp19 has a novel role in the initiation step of transcription in yeast.

The general transcription factors (GTFs) of RNA polymerase II and their roles in plant development and stress responses

In eukaryotes, general transcription factors (GTFs) enable recruitment of RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) to core promoters to facilitate initiation of transcription. Extensive research in mammals and yeast has unveiled their significance in basal transcription as well as in diverse biological processes. Unlike mammals and yeast, plant GTFs exhibit remarkable degree of variability and flexibility. This is because plant GTFs and GTF subunits are often encoded by multigene families, introducing complexity to transcriptional regulation at both cellular and biological levels. This review provides insights into the general transcription mechanism, GTF composition, and their cellular functions. It further highlights the involvement of RNA Pol II-related GTFs in plant development and stress responses. Studies reveal that GTFs act as important regulators of gene expression in specific developmental processes and help equip plants with resilience against adverse environmental conditions. Their functions may be direct or mediated through their cofactor nature. The versatility of GTFs in controlling gene expression, and thereby influencing specific traits, adds to the intricate complexity inherent in the plant system.

CDK7 kinase activity promotes RNA polymerase II promoter escape by facilitating initiation factor release

Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7), part of the general transcription factor TFIIH, promotes gene transcription by phosphorylating the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II). Here, we combine rapid CDK7 kinase inhibition with multi-omics analysis to unravel the direct functions of CDK7 in human cells. CDK7 inhibition causes RNA Pol II retention at promoters, leading to decreased RNA Pol II initiation and immediate global downregulation of transcript synthesis. Elongation, termination, and recruitment of co-transcriptional factors are not directly affected. Although RNA Pol II, initiation factors, and Mediator accumulate at promoters, RNA Pol II complexes can also proceed into gene bodies without promoter-proximal pausing while retaining initiation factors and Mediator. Further downstream, RNA Pol II phosphorylation increases and initiation factors and Mediator are released, allowing recruitment of elongation factors and an increase in RNA Pol II elongation velocity. Collectively, CDK7 kinase activity promotes the release of initiation factors and Mediator from RNA Pol II, facilitating RNA Pol II escape from the promoter.

CSB-independent, XPC-dependent transcription-coupled repair in Drosophila

Drosophila melanogaster has been extensively used as a model system to study ionizing radiation and chemical-induced mutagenesis, double-strand break repair, and recombination. However, there are only limited studies on nucleotide excision repair in this important model organism. An early study reported that Drosophila lacks the transcription-coupled repair (TCR) form of nucleotide excision repair. This conclusion was seemingly supported by the Drosophila genome sequencing project, which revealed that Drosophila lacks a homolog to CSB, which is known to be required for TCR in mammals and yeasts. However, by using excision repair sequencing (XR-seq) genome-wide repair mapping technology, we recently found that the Drosophila S2 cell line performs TCR comparable to human cells. Here, we have extended this work to Drosophila at all its developmental stages. We find TCR takes place throughout the life cycle of the organism. Moreover, we find that in contrast to humans and other multicellular organisms previously studied, the XPC repair factor is required for both global and transcription-coupled repair in Drosophila.

Beyond the canonical role of TFIIB in eukaryotic transcription

The role of general transcription factor TFIIB in transcription extends well beyond its evolutionarily conserved function in initiation. Chromatin localization studies demonstrating binding of TFIIB to both the 5’ and 3’ ends of genes in a diverse set of eukaryotes strongly suggested a rather unexpected role of the factor in termination. TFIIB indeed plays a role in termination of transcription. TFIIB occupancy of the 3’ end is possibly due to its interaction with the termination factors residing there. Interaction of the promoter-bound TFIIB with factors occupying the 3’ end of a gene may be the basis of transcription-dependent gene looping. The proximity of the terminator-bound factors with the promoter in a gene loop has the potential to terminate promoter-initiated upstream anti-sense transcription thereby conferring promoter directionality. TFIIB, therefore, is emerging as a factor with pleiotropic roles in the transcription cycle. This could be the reason for preferential targeting of TFIIB by viruses. Further studies are needed to understand the critical role of TFIIB in viral pathogenesis in the context of its newly identified roles in termination, gene looping and promoter directionality.

Spatiotemporal coordination of transcription preinitiation complex assembly in live cells

Transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) requires preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly at gene promoters. In the dynamic nucleus, where thousands of promoters are broadly distributed in chromatin, it is unclear how multiple individual components converge on any target to establish the PIC. Here we use live-cell, single-molecule tracking in S. cerevisiae to visualize constrained exploration of the nucleoplasm by PIC components and Mediator's key role in guiding this process. On chromatin, TFIID/TATA-binding protein (TBP), Mediator, and RNA Pol II instruct assembly of a short-lived PIC, which occurs infrequently but efficiently within a few seconds on average. Moreover, PIC exclusion by nucleosome encroachment underscores regulated promoter accessibility by chromatin remodeling. Thus, coordinated nuclear exploration and recruitment to accessible targets underlies dynamic PIC establishment in yeast. Our study provides a global spatiotemporal model for transcription initiation in live cells.

Proximity to the Promoter and Terminator Regions Regulates the Transcription Enhancement Potential of an Intron

An evolutionarily conserved feature of introns is their ability to enhance expression of genes that harbor them. Introns have been shown to regulate gene expression at the transcription and post-transcription level. The general perception is that a promoter-proximal intron is most efficient in enhancing gene expression and the effect diminishes with the increase in distance from the promoter. Here we show that the intron regains its positive influence on gene expression when in proximity to the terminator. We inserted ACT1 intron into different positions within IMD4 and INO1 genes. Transcription Run-On (TRO) analysis revealed that the transcription of both IMD4 and INO1 was maximal in constructs with a promoter-proximal intron and decreased with the increase in distance of the intron from the promoter. However, activation was partially restored when the intron was placed close to the terminator. We previously demonstrated that the promoter-proximal intron stimulates transcription by affecting promoter directionality through gene looping-mediated recruitment of termination factors in the vicinity of the promoter region. Here we show that the terminator-proximal intron also enhances promoter directionality and results in compact gene architecture with the promoter and terminator regions in close physical proximity. Furthermore, we show that both the promoter and terminator-proximal introns facilitate assembly or stabilization of the preinitiation complex (PIC) on the promoter. On the basis of these findings, we propose that proximity to both the promoter and the terminator regions affects the transcription regulatory potential of an intron, and the terminator-proximal intron enhances transcription by affecting both the assembly of preinitiation complex and promoter directionality.

Crosstalk of promoter and terminator during RNA polymerase II transcription cycle

The transcription cycle of RNAPII is comprised of three consecutive steps; initiation, elongation and termination. It has been assumed that the initiation and termination steps occur in spatial isolation, essentially as independent events. A growing body of evidence, however, has challenged this dogma. First, factors involved in initiation and termination exhibit both a genetic and a physical interaction during transcription. Second, the initiation and termination factors have been found to occupy both ends of a transcribing gene. Third, physical interaction of initiation and termination factors occupying distal ends of a gene sometime results in the entire terminator region of a genes looping back and contact its cognate promoter, thereby forming a looped gene architecture during transcription. A logical interpretation of these findings is that the initiation and termination steps of transcription do not occur in isolation. There is extensive communication of factors occupying promoter and terminator ends of a gene during transcription cycle. This review entails a discussion of the promoter-terminator crosstalk and its implication in the context of transcription.

Dissecting the Pol II transcription cycle and derailing cancer with CDK inhibitors

Largely non-overlapping sets of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) regulate cell division and RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-dependent transcription. Here we review the molecular mechanisms by which specific CDKs are thought to act at discrete steps in the transcription cycle and describe the recent emergence of transcriptional CDKs as promising drug targets in cancer. We emphasize recent advances in understanding the transcriptional CDK network that were facilitated by development and deployment of small-molecule inhibitors with increased selectivity for individual CDKs. Unexpectedly, several of these compounds have also shown selectivity in killing cancer cells, despite the seemingly universal involvement of their target CDKs during transcription in all cells. Finally, we describe remaining and emerging challenges in defining functions of individual CDKs in transcription and co-transcriptional processes and in leveraging CDK inhibition for therapeutic purposes.

RNA polymerase II phosphorylation and gene looping: new roles for the Rpb4/7 heterodimer in regulating gene expression

In eukaryotes, cellular RNAs are produced by three nuclear RNA polymerases (RNAPI, II, and III), which are multisubunit complexes. They share structural and functional features, although they are specialized in the synthesis of specific RNAs. RNAPII transcribes the vast majority of cellular RNAs, including mRNAs and a large number of noncoding RNAs. The structure of RNAPII is highly conserved in all eukaryotes, consisting of 12 subunits (Rpb1-12) organized into five structural modules, among which the Rpb4 and Rpb7 subunits form the stalk. Early studies suggested an accessory role for Rpb4, because is required for specific gene transcription pathways. Far from this initial hypothesis, it is now well established that the Rpb4/7 heterodimer plays much wider roles in gene expression regulation. It participates in nuclear and cytosolic processes ranging from transcription to translation and mRNA degradation in a cyclical process. For this reason, Rpb4/7 is considered a coordinator of gene expression. New functions have been added to the list of stalk functions during transcription, which will be reviewed herein: first, a role in the maintenance of proper RNAPII phosphorylation levels, and second, a role in the establishment of a looped gene architecture in actively transcribed genes.

RNA polymerase II plays an active role in the formation of gene loops through the Rpb4 subunit

Gene loops are formed by the interaction of initiation and termination factors occupying the distal ends of a gene during transcription. RNAPII is believed to affect gene looping indirectly owing to its essential role in transcription. The results presented here, however, demonstrate a direct role of RNAPII in gene looping through the Rpb4 subunit. 3C analysis revealed that gene looping is abolished in the rpb4Δ mutant. In contrast to the other looping-defective mutants, rpb4Δ cells do not exhibit a transcription termination defect. RPB4 overexpression, however, rescued the transcription termination and gene looping defect of sua7-1, a mutant of TFIIB. Furthermore, RPB4 overexpression rescued the ssu72-2 gene looping defect, while SSU72 overexpression restored the formation of gene loops in rpb4Δ cells. Interestingly, the interaction of TFIIB with Ssu72 is compromised in rpb4Δ cells. These results suggest that the TFIIB-Ssu72 interaction, which is critical for gene loop formation, is facilitated by Rpb4. We propose that Rpb4 is promoting the transfer of RNAPII from the terminator to the promoter for reinitiation of transcription through TFIIB-Ssu72 mediated gene looping.

Chromosome conformation capture that detects novel cis- and trans-interactions in budding yeast

Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C) has emerged as a powerful approach for revealing the conformation and features of three-dimensional (3D) genomic organization. Yet attainment of higher resolution in organisms with compact genomes presents a challenge. Here, we describe modifications in the 3C technique that substantially enhance its resolution and sensitivity when applied to the 3D genome of budding yeast. Keys to our approach include use of a 4 bp cutter, Taq I, for cleaving the genome and quantitative PCR for measuring the frequency of ligation. Most importantly, we normalize the percent digestion at each restriction site to account for variation in accessibility of local chromatin structure under a given physiological condition. This strategy has led to the detection of physical interactions between regulatory elements and gene coding regions as well as intricate, stimulus-specific interchromosomal interactions between activated genes. We provide an algorithm that incorporates these and other modifications and allows quantitative determination of chromatin interaction frequencies in yeast under any physiological condition.

The essential and multifunctional TFIIH complex

TFIIH is a 10‐subunit complex that regulates RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription but also serves other important biological roles. Although much remains unknown about TFIIH function in eukaryotic cells, much progress has been made even in just the past few years, due in part to technological advances (e.g. cryoEM and single molecule methods) and the development of chemical inhibitors of TFIIH enzymes. This review focuses on the major cellular roles for TFIIH, with an emphasis on TFIIH function as a regulator of pol II transcription. We describe the structure of TFIIH and its roles in pol II initiation, promoter‐proximal pausing, elongation, and termination. We also discuss cellular roles for TFIIH beyond transcription (e.g. DNA repair, cell cycle regulation) and summarize small molecule inhibitors of TFIIH and diseases associated with defects in TFIIH structure and function.

Genomewide Analysis of Clp1 Function in Transcription in Budding Yeast

In budding yeast, the 3′ end processing of mRNA and the coupled termination of transcription by RNAPII requires the CF IA complex. We have earlier demonstrated a role for the Clp1 subunit of this complex in termination and promoter-associated transcription of CHA1. To assess the generality of the observed function of Clp1 in transcription, we tested the effect of Clp1 on transcription on a genomewide scale using the Global Run-On-Seq (GRO-Seq) approach. GRO-Seq analysis showed the polymerase reading through the termination signal in the downstream region of highly transcribed genes in a temperature-sensitive mutant of Clp1 at elevated temperature. No such terminator readthrough was observed in the mutant at the permissive temperature. The poly(A)-independent termination of transcription of snoRNAs, however, remained unaffected in the absence of Clp1 activity. These results strongly suggest a role for Clp1 in poly(A)-coupled termination of transcription. Furthermore, the density of antisense transcribing polymerase upstream of the promoter region exhibited an increase in the absence of Clp1 activity, thus implicating Clp1 in promoter directionality. The overall conclusion of these results is that Clp1 plays a general role in poly(A)-coupled termination of RNAPII transcription and in enhancing promoter directionality in budding yeast.

Analysis of Termination of Transcription Using BrUTP-strand-specific Transcription Run-on (TRO) Approach

This manuscript describes a protocol for detecting transcription termination defect in vivo. The strand-specific TRO protocol using BrUTP described here is a powerful experimental approach for analyzing the transcription termination defect under physiological conditions. Like the traditional TRO assay, it relies on the presence of a transcriptionally active polymerase beyond the 3' end of the gene as an indicator of a transcription termination defect¹. It overcomes two major problems encountered with the traditional TRO assay. First, it can detect if the polymerase reading through the termination signal is the one that initiated transcription from the promoter-proximal region, or if it is simply representing a pervasively transcribing polymerase that initiated non-specifically from somewhere in the body or the 3' end of the gene. Secondly, it can distinguish if the transcriptionally active polymerase signal beyond the terminator region is truly the readthrough sense mRNA transcribing polymerase or a terminator-initiated non-coding anti-sense RNA signal. Briefly, the protocol involves permeabilizing the exponentially growing yeast cells, allowing the transcripts that initiated in vivo to elongate in the presence of the BrUTP nucleotide, purifying BrUTP-labelled RNA by the affinity approach, reverse transcribing the purified nascent RNA and amplifying the cDNA using strand-specific primers flanking the promoter and the terminator regions of the gene².

Enhancement of Transcription by a Splicing-Competent Intron Is Dependent on Promoter Directionality

Enhancement of transcription by a splicing-competent intron is an evolutionarily conserved feature among eukaryotes. The molecular mechanism underlying the phenomenon, however, is not entirely clear. Here we show that the intron is an important regulator of promoter directionality. Employing strand-specific transcription run-on (TRO) analysis, we show that the transcription of mRNA is favored over the upstream anti-sense transcripts (uaRNA) initiating from the promoter in the presence of an intron. Mutation of either the 5′ or 3′ splice site resulted in the reversal of promoter directionality, thereby suggesting that it is not merely the 5′ splice site but the entire splicing-competent intron that regulates transcription directionality. ChIP analysis revealed the recruitment of termination factors near the promoter region in the presence of an intron. Removal of intron or the mutation of splice sites adversely affected the promoter localization of termination factors. We have earlier demonstrated that the intron-mediated enhancement of transcription is dependent on gene looping. Here we show that gene looping is crucial for the recruitment of termination factors in the promoter-proximal region of an intron-containing gene. In a looping-defective mutant, despite normal splicing, the promoter occupancy of factors required for poly(A)-dependent termination of transcription was compromised. This was accompanied by a concomitant loss of transcription directionality. On the basis of these results, we propose that the intron-dependent gene looping places the terminator-bound factors in the vicinity of the promoter region for termination of the promoter-initiated upstream antisense transcription, thereby conferring promoter directionality.

Eukaryotic genes differ from their prokaryotic counterparts in having intervening non-coding sequences called introns. The precise biological role of introns in eukaryotic systems remains unclear even more than forty years after their initial discovery. One function of intron that has been remarkably conserved during evolution is their ability to enhance the transcription of genes that harbor them. How does the intron regulate transcription, however, is not known. Here we show that the intron enhances gene expression by affecting direction of the promoter-initiated transcription. In the presence of an intron, polymerase tends to transcribe the downstream coding region producing mRNA, while in the absence of a splicing-competent intron polymerase starts transcribing promoter upstream region producing upstream antisense RNA (uaRNA). Intron-mediated promoter directionality was dependent on gene looping, which is the interaction off the promoter and terminator region of a gene in a transcription-dependent manner. We show that the intron-dependent gene looping facilitates the recruitment of termination factors in the promoter-proximal region. The recruited termination factors stop uaRNA synthesis thereby conferring directionality to the promoter-bound polymerase.

The point of no return: The poly(A)-associated elongation checkpoint

Cyclin-dependent kinases play critical roles in transcription by RNA polymerase II (pol II) and processing of the transcripts. For example, CDK9 regulates transcription of protein-coding genes, splicing, and 3' end formation of the transcripts. Accordingly, CDK9 inhibitors have a drastic effect on the production of mRNA in human cells. Recent analyses indicate that CDK9 regulates transcription at the early-elongation checkpoint of the vast majority of pol II-transcribed genes. Our recent discovery of an additional CDK9-regulated elongation checkpoint close to poly(A) sites adds a new layer to the control of transcription by this critical cellular kinase. This novel poly(A)-associated checkpoint has the potential to powerfully regulate gene expression just before a functional polyadenylated mRNA is produced: the point of no return. However, many questions remain to be answered before the role of this checkpoint becomes clear. Here we speculate on the possible biological significance of this novel mechanism of gene regulation and the players that may be involved.