RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain required for enhancer-driven transcription - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 1995 Apr 13;374(6523):660-2.

doi: 10.1038/374660a0.

Affiliations

RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain required for enhancer-driven transcription

H P Gerber et al. Nature. 1995.

Abstract

The RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) consists of tandem repeats of the sequence Tyr-Ser-Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser. The CTD may participate in activated transcription through interaction with a high-molecular-weight mediator complex. Such a role would be consistent with observations that some genes are preferentially sensitive to CTD mutations. Here we investigate the function of the mouse RNA polymerase CTD in enhancer-driven transcription. Transcription by alpha-amanitin-resistant CTD-deletion mutants was tested by transient transfection of tissue culture cells in the presence of alpha-amanitin in order to inhibit endogenous RNA polymerase II. Removal of most of the CTD abolishes transcriptional activation by all enhancers tested, whereas transcription from promoters driven by Sp1, a factor that typically activates housekeeping genes from positions proximal to the initiation sites, is not affected. These findings show that the CTD is essential in mediating 'enhancer'-type activation of mammalian transcription.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources