title: The F-actin severing protein cofilin-1 is required for RNA polymerase II transcription elongation.
abstract: In mammals actin contributes to transcription elongation by facilitating establishment of permissive chromatin. Here we report that the F-actin severing protein cofilin-1 is part of the same complex with actin and phosphorylated RNA polymerase (pol) II. In chromatin immunoprecipitation assays cofilin-1 was found selectively associated with transcribed regions of active genes, its occupancy being influenced by the polymerization state of actin. Cofilin-1 gene silencing led to a drop in FUrd incorporation into nascent transcripts. In cofilin-1 silenced cells chromatin immunoprecipitations showed that active genes were devoid of actin, phosphorylated pol II and displayed low histone H3 acetylation levels on K9. These findings suggest that cofilin-1 plays a major role in pol II transcription, facilitating association of elongating pol II and actin with active genes. We speculate that cofilin-1 performs its function in pol II transcription by regulating polymerization of gene-associated actin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ales
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obrdlik
authors.forename: Piergiorgio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Percipalle
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D051338:Cofilin 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping; D034622:RNA Interference; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002843:Chromatin; D051338:Cofilin 1; D006657:Histones; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012319:RNA Polymerase II