The Paf1 complex promotes displacement of histones upon rapid induction of transcription by RNA polymerase II.
BACKGROUND
The yeast Paf1 protein complex is required for efficient transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II), but the precise role of the complex has been unclear.


RESULTS
Here we show that depletion of the Ctr9 or Paf1 component of the Paf1 complex delays the loss of histones from the GAL1 gene upon induction. This delay in histone removal is accompanied by a decrease in association of RNA pol II with GAL1 and altered distribution of the polymerase along the locus.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations may explain why initial induction of GAL transcripts is reduced in Ctr9- or Paf1-deficient cells, and is consistent with a model suggesting that the Paf1 complex and the histone modifications that it mediates increase efficiency of transcriptional elongation by promoting nucleosomal destabilization and histone removal.
Marton
Heather A
HA
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Program in Immunology, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. hmarton@jhmi.edu
Desiderio
Stephen
S
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005686:Galactokinase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000502:physiology; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors
C104718:CTR9 protein, S cerevisiae; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D006657:Histones; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C097698:PAF1 protein, S cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; C524219:GAL1 protein, S cerevisiae; D005686:Galactokinase; D012319:RNA Polymerase II