title: Archaeal TFEα/β is a hybrid of TFIIE and the RNA polymerase III subcomplex hRPC62/39.
abstract: Transcription initiation of archaeal RNA polymerase (RNAP) and eukaryotic RNAPII is assisted by conserved basal transcription factors. The eukaryotic transcription factor TFIIE consists of α and β subunits. Here we have identified and characterised the function of the TFIIEβ homologue in archaea that on the primary sequence level is related to the RNAPIII subunit hRPC39. Both archaeal TFEβ and hRPC39 harbour a cubane 4Fe-4S cluster, which is crucial for heterodimerization of TFEα/β and its engagement with the RNAP clamp. TFEα/β stabilises the preinitiation complex, enhances DNA melting, and stimulates abortive and productive transcription. These activities are strictly dependent on the β subunit and the promoter sequence. Our results suggest that archaeal TFEα/β is likely to represent the evolutionary ancestor of TFIIE-like factors in extant eukaryotes.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blombach
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salvadori
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fouqueau
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology of Archaea Group, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reimann
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sheppard
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Smollett
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology of Archaea Group, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonja V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Christopher W M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5200-6004
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thalassinos
authors.affiliation: Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Finn
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D055503:Protein Multimerization; D012320:RNA Polymerase III / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D019473:Transcription Factors, TFII / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019473:Transcription Factors, TFII; C066644:transcription factor TFIIE; D012320:RNA Polymerase III
keywords: RNA polymerase; TFE; TFIIE; archaea; biochemistry; chromosomes; evolution; genes; transcription