Staf, a promiscuous activator for enhanced transcription by RNA polymerases II and III.
Staf is a zinc finger protein that we recently identified as the transcriptional activator of the RNA polymerase III-transcribed selenocysteine tRNA gene. In this work we demonstrate that enhanced transcription of the majority of vertebrate snRNA and snRNA-type genes, transcribed by RNA polymerases II and III, also requires Staf. DNA binding assays and microinjection of mutant genes into Xenopus oocytes showed the presence of Staf-responsive elements in the genes for human U4C, U6, Y4 and 7SK, Xenopus U1b1, U2, U5 and MRP and mouse U6 RNAs. Using recombinant Staf, we established that it mediates the activating properties of Staf-responsive elements on RNA polymerase II and III snRNA promoters in vivo. Lastly a 19 bp consensus sequence for the Staf binding site, YY(A/T)CCC(A/G)N(A/C)AT(G/C)C(A/C)YY-RCR, was derived by binding site selection. It enabled us to identify 23 other snRNA and snRNA-type genes carrying potential Staf binding sites. Altogether, our results emphasize the prime importance of Staf as a novel activator for enhanced transcription of snRNA and snRNA-type genes.
Schaub
M
M
UPR 9002 du CNRS Structure des Macromolécules Biologiques et Mécanismes de Reconnaissance, IBMC, Strasbourg, France.
Myslinski
E
E
Schuster
C
C
Krol
A
A
Carbon
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012318:RNA Polymerase I / Q000378:metabolism*; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D016335:Zinc Fingers
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012342:RNA, Small Nuclear; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; C114253:ZNF143 protein, human; C491942:Zfp143 protein, mouse; C491943:znf143 protein, Xenopus; D004247:DNA; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D012318:RNA Polymerase I