Project description:In cells lacking the histone methyltransferase Set2, initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription occurs inappropriately within the protein-coding regions of genes, rather than being restricted to the proximal promoter. Here, we mapped the transcripts produced in an S. cerevisiae strain lacking Set2, and applied rigorous statistical methods to identify sites of cryptic transcription at high resolution.
Project description:CDK9 is a critical kinase required for the productive transcription of protein-coding genes by RNA polymerase II (pol II) in higher eukaryotes. Phosphorylation of targets including the elongation factor SPT5 and the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA pol II allow the polymerase to pass an early elongation checkpoint (EEC), which is encountered soon after initiation. In addition to halting RNA polymerase II at the EEC, CDK9 inhibition also causes premature termination of transcription across the last exon, loss of polyadenylation factors from chromatin, and loss of polyadenylation of nascent transcripts. Inhibition of the phosphatase PP2A abrogates the premature termination and loss of polyadenylation caused by CDK9 inhibition, suggesting that CDK9 and PP2A, working together, regulate the coupling of elongation and transcription termination to RNA maturation. Our phosphoproteomic analyses, using either DRB or an analog-sensitive CDK9 cell line confirm the splicing factor SF3B1 as an additional key target of this kinase. CDK9 inhibition causes loss of interaction of splicing and export factors with SF3B1, suggesting that CDK9 also helps to co-ordinates coupling of splicing and export to transcription.
Project description:CDK9 is a critical kinase required for the productive transcription of protein-coding genes by RNA polymerase II (pol II). As part of P-TEFb, CDK9 phosphorylates the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of pol II and elongation factors, including SPT5, which allows pol II to elongate past the early elongation checkpoint (EEC) encountered soon after initiation. We show that, in addition to halting pol II at the EEC, loss of CDK9 activity causes premature termination of transcription across the last exon, loss of polyadenylation factors from chromatin, and loss of polyadenylation of nascent transcripts. Inhibition of the phosphatase PP2A abrogates the premature termination and loss of polyadenylation caused by CDK9 inhibition, indicating that this kinase/phosphatase pair regulates transcription elongation and RNA processing at the end of protein-coding genes. Our phosphoproteomic analyses after CDK9 inhibition, using either DRB or an analog-sensitive CDK9 cell line, confirm the splicing factor SF3B1 as an additional key target of this kinase. These results emphasize the important roles that CDK9 plays in coupling transcription elongation and termination to RNA maturation downstream of the EEC. As part of this project, we characterized the interactome of SF3B1 in HeLa cells in duplicate.
Project description:The polymerase associated factor 1 complex (Paf1C) is a multifunctional epigenetic regulator of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription. Paf1C controls gene expression by stimulating the placement of co-transcriptional histone modifications, influencing nucleosome occupancy in coding regions, facilitating transcription termination, and regulating nuclear export of RNAs. In this study, we investigate the extent to which these functions of Paf1C combine to influence the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcriptome. Using conditions that enrich for unstable transcripts, we show that deletion of PAF1 affects all classes of Pol II-transcribed RNAs including multiple classes of noncoding transcripts. Gene ontology analysis revealed that mRNAs encoding genes involved in iron and phosphate homeostasis were differentially affected by deletion of PAF1. We further investigated these two groups of mRNAs with the goal of identifying overarching mechanisms of up and down-regulation in cells lacking Paf1. Our results indicate that only a subset of the observed changes result from loss of Paf1C-promoted histone modifications. We also found that transcription of the FET4 gene is differentially regulated by Paf1 and an upstream CUT. Together these data highlight the complexity of the epigenetic regulation of Pol II transcription imposed by Paf1C and identify a role for Paf1C in promoting CUT transcription.