Mammalian elongin A is not essential for cell viability but is required for proper cell cycle progression with limited alteration of gene expression.
Elongin A is a transcription elongation factor that increases the overall rate of mRNA chain elongation by RNA polymerase II. To investigate the function of Elongin A in vivo, the two alleles of the Elongin A gene have been disrupted by homologous recombination in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. The Elongin A-deficient ES cells are viable, but show a slow growth phenotype because they undergo a delayed mitosis. The cDNA microarray and RNase protection assay using the wild-type and Elongin A-deficient ES cells indicate that the expression of only a small subset of genes is affected in the mutant cells. Taken together, our results suggest that Elongin A regulates transcription of a subset but not all of genes and reveal a linkage between Elongin A function and cell cycle progression.
Yamazaki
Katsuhisa
K
Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, and CREST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, 3-1-1, Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Aso
Teijiro
T
Ohnishi
Yoshinori
Y
Ohno
Mizuki
M
Tamura
Kenji
K
Shuin
Taro
T
Kitajima
Shigetaka
S
Nakabeppu
Yusaku
Y
D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016213:Cyclins / Q000235:genetics; D000075065:Elongin; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006720:Homozygote; D051379:Mice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
D016213:Cyclins; C000616403:Eloa protein, mouse; D000075065:Elongin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors