TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification and characterization of a Schizosaccharomyces pombe RNA polymerase II elongation factor with similarity to the metazoan transcription factor ELL
AU - Banks, Charles A.S.
AU - Kong, Stephanie E.
AU - Spahr, Henrik
AU - Florens, Laurence
AU - Martin-Brown, Skylar
AU - Washburn, Michael P.
AU - Conaway, Joan W.
AU - Mushegian, Arcady
AU - Conaway, Ronald C.
PY - 2007/2/23
Y1 - 2007/2/23
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
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U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M610393200
DO - 10.1074/jbc.M610393200
M3 - Article
C2 - 17150956
AN - SCOPUS:34247113782
SN - 0021-9258
VL - 282
SP - 5761
EP - 5769
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry
IS - 8
ER -