Studies of nematode TFIIE function reveal a link between Ser-5 phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II and the transition from transcription initiation to elongation.

ABSTRACT: The general transcription factor TFIIE plays important roles in transcription initiation and in the transition to elongation. However, little is known about its function during these steps. Here we demonstrate for the first time that TFIIH-mediated phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is essential for the transition to elongation. This phosphorylation occurs at serine position 5 (Ser-5) of the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) heptapeptide sequence of the largest subunit of Pol II. In a human in vitro transcription system with a supercoiled template, this process was studied using a human TFIIE (hTFIIE) homolog from Caenorhabditis elegans (ceTFIIEalpha and ceTFIIEbeta). ceTFIIEbeta could partially replace hTFIIEbeta, whereas ceTFIIEalpha could not replace hTFIIEalpha. We present the s

SUBMITTER: Yamamoto S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC86563 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature