A motif shared by TFIIF and TFIIB mediates their interaction with the RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain phosphatase Fcp1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Transcription by RNA polymerase II is accompanied by cyclic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the carboxy-terminal heptapeptide repeat domain (CTD) of its largest subunit. We have used deletion and point mutations in Fcp1p, a TFIIF-interacting CTD phosphatase, to show that the integrity of its BRCT domain, like that of its catalytic domain, is important for cell viability, mRNA synthesis, and CTD dephosphorylation in vivo. Although regions of Fcp1p carboxy terminal to its BRCT domain and at its amino terminus were not essential for viability, deletion of either of these regions affected the phosphorylation state of the CTD. Two portions of this carboxy-terminal region of Fcp1p bound directly to the first cyclin-like repeat in the core domain of the general transcription factor TFIIB, as well as to the RAP74 subunit of TFIIF. These regulatory interactions with Fcp1p involved closely related amino acid sequence motifs in TFIIB and RAP74. Mutating the Fcp1p-binding motif KEFGK in the RAP74 (Tfg1p) subunit of TFIIF to EEFGE led to both synthetic phenotypes in certain fcp1 tfg1 double mutants and a reduced ability of Fcp1p to activate transcription when it is artificially tethered to a promoter. These results suggest strongly that this KEFGK motif in RAP74 mediates its interaction with Fcp1p in vivo.

Perturbation of nucleosome structure by the erythroid transcription factor GATA-1

The ability of transcription factors to gain access to their sites in chromatin requires the disruption or displacement of nucleosomes covering the promoter, signalled by the generation of a nuclease hypersensitive site. We characterise here the alterations in nucleosome structure caused by binding of the erythroid factor GATA-1 to a nucleosome carrying GATA-1 sites. DNase I and micrococcal nuclease probes show that GATA-1 binding causes extensive, cooperative breakage of the histone/DNA contacts to generate a complex very similar to that formed by the factor with free DNA. The only region which differs is confined to about 50 bp surrounding the nucleosome dyad axis which appears to be the domain of residual contact between the DNA and histone octamer. Despite considerable breakage of the histone/DNA contacts, the complex is completely stable in solution, and disruption of the nucleosome is entirely reversible: it is regenerated quantitatively upon removal of the transcription factor. Moreover, the histone 2A/2B component of the octamer does not exchange to external competitor. We suggest that formation of this complex may be a step in the generation of a fully hypersensitive site in vivo over regulatory elements containing GATA family binding sites.

Protein kinase C-gamma is present in adriamycin resistant HL-60 leukemia cells

The isoform pattern of protein kinase C (PKC) was examined in wild-type and Adriamycin-resistant (HL-60/AR) HL-60 leukemia cells. Analyses were carried out by immunoblotting with mouse monoclonal antibodies against PKC-alpha and PKC-beta and a rabbit polyclonal antibody against the variable (V3) region of PKC-gamma. HL-60/AR cells contained an equivalent level of PKC-alpha and a lower amount of PKC-beta than HL-60 cells. In contrast, only HL-60/AR cells contained PKC-gamma. These results indicate that the regulation of this family of isoenzymes is altered in drug-resistant cells.