title: Phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II plays central roles in the integrated events of eucaryotic gene expression.
abstract: RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is the only polymerase to possess heptapeptide repeats in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of its large subunit. During transcription, CTD phopshorylation occurs and is maintained from initiation to termination. To date, among the three known CTD kinases possessing CDK-cyclin pairs, TFIIH is the only one that forms a preinitiation complex. The Mediator complex plays essential roles in transcription initiation and during the transition from initiation to elongation by transmitting signals from transcriptional activators to Pol II. P-TEFb specifically plays a role in transcription elongation. TFIIH and mediator phosphorylate serine 5 (Ser5) of the CTD heptapeptide repeat sequence, whereas P-TEFb phosphorylates serine 2 (Ser2). Recently, it has become clear that CTD phosphorylation is not only essential for transcription, but also as a platform for RNA processing and chromatin regulation. In this review, we discuss the central role of Pol II phosphorylation in these nuclear events.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene Regulation, Graduate School of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohkuma
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011487:Protein Conformation / Q000187:drug effects; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional / Q000502:physiology; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D000098556:mRNA Guanylyltransferases
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C472862:PCIF1 protein, human; D012322:RNA Precursors; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D000098556:mRNA Guanylyltransferases