title: Evidence that the transcription elongation function of Rpb9 is involved in transcription-coupled DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: Rpb9, a small nonessential subunit of RNA polymerase II, has been shown to have multiple transcription-related functions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These functions include promoting transcription elongation and mediating a subpathway of transcription-coupled repair (TCR) that is independent of Rad26, the homologue of human Cockayne syndrome complementation group B protein. Rpb9 is composed of three distinct domains: the N-terminal Zn1, the C-terminal Zn2, and the central linker. Here we show that the Zn1 and linker domains are essential, whereas the Zn2 domain is almost dispensable, for both transcription elongation and TCR functions. Impairment of transcription elongation, which does not dramatically compromise Rad26-mediated TCR, completely abolishes Rpb9-mediated TCR. Furthermore, Rpb9 appears to be dispensable for TCR if its transcription elongation function is compensated for by removing a transcription repression/elongation factor. Our data suggest that the transcription elongation function of Rpb9 is involved in TCR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. shli@lsu.edu
authors.forename: Shisheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Baojin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Runqiang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010441:Peptide Chain Elongation, Translational / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D017354:Point Mutation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; C509257:Rpb9 protein, S cerevisiae