title: Modulation of RNA polymerase core functions by basal transcription factor TFB/TFIIB.
abstract: The archaeal basal transcriptional machinery consists of TBP (TATA-binding protein), TFB (transcription factor B; a homologue of eukaryotic TFIIB) and an RNA polymerase that is structurally very similar to eukaryotic RNA polymerase II. This constellation of factors is sufficient to assemble specifically on a TATA box-containing promoter and to initiate transcription at a specific start site. We have used this system to study the functional interaction between basal transcription factors and RNA polymerase, with special emphasis on the post-recruitment function of TFB. A bioinformatics analysis of the B-finger of archaeal TFB and eukaryotic TFIIB reveals that this structure undergoes rapid and apparently systematic evolution in archaeal and eukaryotic evolutionary domains. We provide a detailed analysis of these changes and discuss their possible functional implications.
authors.affiliation: Imperial College London, Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Finn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiesler
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nottebaum
authors.forename: Robert O J
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Weinzierl
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D035581:Transcription Factor TFIIB / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D035581:Transcription Factor TFIIB; C106466:transcription factor B, Archaea; D004247:DNA; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases