title: Identification and Characterization of a Schizosaccharomyces pombe RNA Polymerase II Elongation Factor with Similarity to the Metazoan Transcription Factor ELL.
abstract: ELL family transcription factors activate the rate of transcript elongation by suppressing transient pausing by RNA polymerase II at many sites along the DNA. ELL-associated factors 1 and 2 (EAF1 and EAF2) bind stably to ELL family members and act as strong positive regulators of their transcription activities. Orthologs of ELL and EAF have been identified in metazoa, but it has been unclear whether such RNA polymerase II elongation factors are utilized in lower eukaryotes. Using bioinformatic and biochemical approaches, we have identified a new Schizosaccharomyces pombe RNA polymerase II elongation factor that is composed of two subunits designated SpELL and SpEAF, which share weak sequence similarity with members of the metazoan ELL and EAF families. Like mammalian ELL-EAF, SpELL-SpEAF stimulates RNA polymerase II transcription elongation and pyrophosphorolysis. In addition, like many yeast RNA polymerase II elongation factors, deletion of the SpELL gene renders S. pombe sensitive to the drug 6-azauracil. Finally, phylogenetic analyses suggest that the SpELL and SpEAF proteins are evolutionarily conserved in many fungi but not in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
authors.affiliation: Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA.
authors.forename: Charles A S
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: Stephanie E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spahr
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Florens
authors.forename: Skylar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin-Brown
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Washburn
authors.forename: Joan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Conaway
authors.forename: Arcady
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mushegian
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Conaway
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000494:pharmacology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D018411:Spodoptera; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; C431383:EAF1 protein, human; C472771:EAF2 protein, human; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; C518824:eaf1 protein, S pombe; C518823:ell1 protein, S pombe; D014498:Uracil; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; C100248:azauracil