An RNA polymerase II complex containing all essential initiation factors binds to the activation domain of PAR leucine zipper transcription factor thyroid embryonic factor.
Transcription initiation of protein-encoding genes involves the assembly of RNA polymerase II and a number of general transcription factors at the promoter. A mammalian RNA polymerase II complex containing all of the components required for promoter-specific transcription initiation can be isolated by immunopurification with a monoclonal antibody directed against the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK7, a subunit of the general transcription factor TFIIH. In vitro transcription by this immunopurified RNA polymerase II complex is effectively stimulated by thyroid embryonic factor (TEF), a basic leucine zipper transcription factor. Thus, the RNA polymerase II complex must also contain components required for activated transcription that interact with the transactivation domain of TEF. This conjecture was verified by affinity selection experiments in which the TEF transcription activation domain was used as a bait. Indeed, an RNA polymerase II complex containing all of the accessory proteins required for transcription initiation can be enriched by its affinity to recombinant proteins containing the TEF transactivation domain. These results are compatible with a mechanism by which TEF can recruit an RNA polymerase II holoenzyme to the promoter in a single step.
Ossipow
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Département de Biologie Moléculaire Sciences II, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
Fonjallaz
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P
Schibler
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U
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D001665:Binding Sites; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051758:Transcription Factor TFIIH; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019473:Transcription Factors, TFII; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D000095043:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Activating Kinase
D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D019473:Transcription Factors, TFII; C071247:Tef protein, rat; D051758:Transcription Factor TFIIH; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D000095043:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase-Activating Kinase