Phosphorylation in transcription: the CTD and more - PubMed (original) (raw)

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Phosphorylation in transcription: the CTD and more

T Riedl et al. Gene Expr. 2000.

Abstract

Phosphorylation appears to be one mechanism in the regulation of transcription. Indeed, a multitude of factors involved in distinct steps of transcription, including RNA polymerase II, the general transcription factors, pre-mRNA processing factors, and transcription activators/repressors are phosphoproteins and serve as substrates for multiple kinases. Among these substrates, most attention has been paid in recent years to the phosphorylation of the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II and its role in transcription regulation. Kinases responsible for such CTD phosphorylation that are associated with RNA polymerase II at distinct steps of transcription, such as cdk7 and cdk8, also phosphorylate some other components of the transcription machinery in a regulatory manner. These observations enlighten the pivotal role of such kinases in an entangled regulation of transcription by phosphorylation. Summarizing the phosphorylation of various components of the transcription machinery, we point out the variety of steps in transcription that are regulated by such protein modifications, envisioning an interconnection of the several stages of mRNA synthesis by phosphorylation.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Steps in mRNA synthesis regulated by kinases of the transcription machinery. Top: Shaded boxes represent the distinct stages of transcription. The stages of activation/repression of transcription, transcription, and pre-mRNA processing interlock. The distinct steps of the particular stages regulated through phosphorylation by kinases of the transcription machinery are outlined by arrows (bracket for elongation) at the top of the stage boxes. Middle: Kinases regulating the corresponding steps of mRNA synthesis are represented by shaded bars. Arrows within these bars symbolize that a preceding phosphorylation by the particular kinase regulates mRNA synthesis during the following steps. Factors phosphorylated by the kinases at distinct steps are described in the text. Bottom: Phosphorylation status of the CTD correlating with the distinct steps of mRNA synthesis. After a first round of transcription RNA pol II can be either degraded or recycled by dephosphorylation, allowing reentry into the transcription cycle. The CTD phosphatase CTDP could act at different steps of mRNA synthesis as indicated by arrows. The phosphorylation pattern of RNA Pol IIO CTD could be modified during elongation as indicated by an additional phosphate symbol. Further explanations in the text.

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