title: Subnuclear localization of Ku protein: functional association with RNA polymerase II elongation sites.
abstract: Ku is an abundant nuclear protein with an essential function in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Various observations suggest that Ku also interacts with the cellular transcription machinery, although the mechanism and significance of this interaction are not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the subnuclear distribution of Ku in normally growing human cells by using confocal microscopy, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and protein immunoprecipitation. All three approaches indicated association of Ku with RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) elongation sites. This association occurred independently of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit and was highly selective. There was no detectable association with the initiating isoform of RNAP II or with the general transcription initiation factors. In vitro protein-protein interaction assays demonstrated that the association of Ku with elongation proteins is mediated, in part, by a discrete C-terminal domain in the Ku80 subunit. Functional disruption of this interaction with a dominant-negative mutant inhibited transcription in vitro and in vivo and suppressed cell growth. These results suggest that association of Ku with transcription sites is important for maintenance of global transcription levels. Tethering of double-strand break repair proteins to defined subnuclear structures may also be advantageous in maintenance of genome stability.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA.
authors.forename: Xianming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Dynan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D002460:Cell Line; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D004265:DNA Helicases; D004260:DNA Repair; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes; D000072200:Ku Autoantigen; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010441:Peptide Chain Elongation, Translational; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D004265:DNA Helicases; C106893:XRCC5 protein, human; C000606509:Xrcc6 protein, human; D000072200:Ku Autoantigen