Project description:The initial step of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription involves a large number of transcription factors and arises at multiple sites within most promoters. TFIIH is an essential, multi-subunit transcription factor that assembles on promoter DNA with Pol II and five other general transcription factors (GTFs) to form a pre-initiation complex (PIC) for basal transcription. During transcription initiation, TFIIH melts promoter DNA through the ATPase activity of its Ssl2 subunit. In the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, after DNA melting, Pol II scans downstream for usable transcription start sites (TSSs). To understand the function of Ssl2/TFIIH in promoter scanning and TSS selection, we identified novel alleles of SSL2 in genetic screens for mutants defective in TSS distribution that may potentially arise from altered scanning. Consistent with this notion, these ssl2 alleles alter scanning in ways that are distinct from how changes to the Pol II active site alter scanning and this difference is observed genome-wide. Our investigations support two major pathways in controlling promoter scanning and TSS selection, one controlling the efficiency of initiation through Pol II activity or factors regulating Pol II activity; another network appears to control the processivity of scanning by Ssl2/TFIIH.
Project description:The preinitiation complex (PIC) assembles on promoters of protein-coding genes to position RNA polymerase II (Pol II) for transcription initiation. Previous structural studies revealed the PIC on different promoters, but did not address how the PIC assembles in chromatin. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, PIC assembly occurs adjacent to the +1 nucleosome that is positioned downstream of the core promoter. Here we present the cryo-EM structure of the yeast PIC bound to promoter DNA and the +1 nucleosome at a resolution of 3.4–3.9 Å. The general transcription factor TFIIH forms four contacts with the nucleosome, indicating how PIC assembly can be assisted by the +1 nucleosome. The TFIIH subunit Ssl2 (XPB in human TFIIH) forms a wedge between promoter DNA and the nucleosome, stabilizing two turns of DNA that are detached from the nucleosome. During subsequent scanning for the transcription start site (TSS), three additional turns of DNA can be detached before the partially unraveled nucleosome may counteract further scanning, explaining why TSSs are located at a distance of ~60 bp from the dyad of the +1 nucleosome in yeast.
Project description:TFIIH is a 10-protein complex that is conserved through out eukaryotes. TFIIH has two primary cellular functions: transcription initiation and nucleotide excision repair (NER). In transcription initiation, TFIIH acts as a structural scaffold, phosphorylates the RNA polymerase II (pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD) and translocates promoter DNA through the pol II active site to facilitate start site selection. In NER, again is a structural scaffold, opens a bubble around damaged DNA and scans the damaged strand for bulky lesions. In yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), TFIIH is composed of the two helicases Ssl2 and Rad3, the scaffolding subunits Tfb1, Tfb2, Tfb4 and Ssl1 and the kinase subunits Kin28, Ccl1 and Tfb3.
Project description:Transcription start site (TSS) selection is a key step in gene expression and occurs at many promoter positions over a wide range of efficiencies. Here, we develop a massively parallel reporter assay to quantitatively dissect contributions of promoter sequence, NTP substrate levels, and RNA polymerase II (Pol II) activity to TSS selection by "promoter scanning" in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Pol II MAssively Systematic Transcript End Readout, "Pol II MASTER"). Using Pol II MASTER, we measure the efficiency of Pol II initiation at 1,000,000 individual TSS sequences in a defined promoter context. Pol II MASTER confirms proposed critical qualities of S. cerevisiae TSS -8, -1, and +1 positions quantitatively in a controlled promoter context. Pol II MASTER extends quantitative analysis to surrounding sequences and determines that they tune initiation over a wide range of efficiencies. These results enabled the development of a predictive model for initiation efficiency based on sequence. We show that genetic perturbation of Pol II catalytic activity alters initiation efficiency mostly independently of TSS sequence, but selectively modulates preference for initiating nucleotide. Intriguingly, we find that Pol II initiation efficiency is directly sensitive to GTP levels at the first five transcript positions and to CTP and UTP levels at the second position genome wide. These results suggest individual NTP levels can have transcript-specific effects on initiation, representing a cryptic layer of potential regulation at the level of Pol II biochemical properties. The results establish Pol II MASTER as a method for quantitative dissection of transcription initiation in eukaryotes.