Connection of core and tail Mediator modules restrains transcription from TFIID-dependent promoters [ChIP-Seq]
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ABSTRACT: The Mediator coactivator complex is divided into four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. Deletion of the architectural subunit Med16 separates core Mediator (cMed), comprising the head, middle, and scaffold (Med14), from the tail. However, the direct global effects of tail/cMed disconnection are unclear. We find that rapid depletion of Med16 downregulates genes that require the SAGA complex for full expression, consistent with their reported tail dependence, but also moderately overactivates TFIID-dependent genes in a manner partly dependent on the separated tail, which remains associated with upstream activating sequences. Suppression of TBP dynamics via removal of the Mot1 ATPase partially restores normal transcriptional activity to Med16-depleted cells, suggesting that cMed/tail separation results in an imbalance in the levels of PIC formation at SAGA-requiring and TFIID-dependent genes. We suggest that the preferential regulation of SAGA-requiring genes by tailed Mediator helps maintain a proper balance of transcription between these genes and those more dependent on TFIID.
Project description:The Mediator coactivator complex is divided into four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. Deletion of the architectural subunit Med16 separates core Mediator (cMed), comprising the head, middle, and scaffold (Med14), from the tail. However, the direct global effects of tail/cMed disconnection are unclear. We find that rapid depletion of Med16 downregulates genes that require the SAGA complex for full expression, consistent with their reported tail dependence, but also moderately overactivates TFIID-dependent genes in a manner partly dependent on the separated tail, which remains associated with upstream activating sequences. Suppression of TBP dynamics via removal of the Mot1 ATPase partially restores normal transcriptional activity to Med16-depleted cells, suggesting that cMed/tail separation results in an imbalance in the levels PIC formation at SAGA-requiring and TFIID-dependent genes. We suggest that the preferential regulation of SAGA-requiring genes by tailed Mediator helps maintain a proper balance of transcription between these genes and those more dependent on TFIID.
Project description:The Mediator coactivator complex is divided into four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. Deletion of the architectural subunit Med16 separates core Mediator (cMed), comprising the head, middle, and scaffold (Med14), from the tail. However, the direct global effects of tail/cMed disconnection are unclear. We find that rapid depletion of Med16 downregulates genes that require the SAGA complex for full expression, consistent with their reported tail dependence, but also moderately overactivates TFIID-dependent genes in a manner partly dependent on the separated tail, which remains associated with upstream activating sequences. Suppression of TBP dynamics via removal of the Mot1 ATPase partially restores normal transcriptional activity to Med16-depleted cells, suggesting that cMed/tail separation results in an imbalance in the levels PIC formation at SAGA-requiring and TFIID-dependent genes. We suggest that the preferential regulation of SAGA-requiring genes by tailed Mediator helps maintain a proper balance of transcription between these genes and those more dependent on TFIID.
Project description:The Mediator coactivator complex is divided into four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. Deletion of the architectural subunit Med16 separates core Mediator (cMed), comprising the head, middle, and scaffold (Med14), from the tail. However, the direct global effects of tail/cMed disconnection are unclear. We find that rapid depletion of Med16 downregulates genes that require the SAGA complex for full expression, consistent with their reported tail dependence, but also moderately overactivates TFIID-dependent genes in a manner partly dependent on the separated tail, which remains associated with upstream activating sequences. Suppression of TBP dynamics via removal of the Mot1 ATPase partially restores normal transcriptional activity to Med16-depleted cells, suggesting that cMed/tail separation results in an imbalance in the levels PIC formation at SAGA-requiring and TFIID-dependent genes. We suggest that the preferential regulation of SAGA-requiring genes by tailed Mediator helps maintain a proper balance of transcription between these genes and those more dependent on TFIID.
Project description:Regulation of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription requires the concerted efforts of several multisubunit coactivator complexes, which interact with the RNAPII preinitiation complex (PIC) to stimulate transcription. We previously showed that separation of the Mediator core (cMed) from Mediator’s tail module results in modest overactivation of genes annotated as highly dependent on TFIID for expression. However, it is unclear if other coactivators are involved in this phenomenon. Here, we show that the overactivation of certain genes by cMed/tail separation is blunted by disruption of the SAGA complex through removal of its structural Spt20 subunit, though this downregulation does not appear to depend on reduced SAGA association with the genome. Consistent with the enrichment of TFIID-dependent genes among genes overactivated by cMed/tail separation, depletion of the essential TFIID subunit Taf13 suppressed overactivation of these genes when Med16 was simultaneously removed. As with SAGA, this effect did not appear to be dependent on reduced genomic association of TFIID. Given that the observed changes in gene expression could not be clearly linked to alterations in SAGA or TFIID occupancy, our data may suggest that the cMed/tail connection is important for modulation of SAGA and/or TFIID conformation and/or function at target genes.
Project description:Regulation of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription requires the concerted efforts of several multisubunit coactivator complexes, which interact with the RNAPII preinitiation complex (PIC) to stimulate transcription. We previously showed that separation of the Mediator core (cMed) from Mediator’s tail module results in modest overactivation of genes annotated as highly dependent on TFIID for expression. However, it is unclear if other coactivators are involved in this phenomenon. Here, we show that the overactivation of certain genes by cMed/tail separation is blunted by disruption of the SAGA complex through removal of its structural Spt20 subunit, though this downregulation does not appear to depend on reduced SAGA association with the genome. Consistent with the enrichment of TFIID-dependent genes among genes overactivated by cMed/tail separation, depletion of the essential TFIID subunit Taf13 suppressed overactivation of these genes when Med16 was simultaneously removed. As with SAGA, this effect did not appear to be dependent on reduced genomic association of TFIID.
Project description:The yeast Mediator complex can be divided into three modules, designated Head, Middle and Tail. Tail comprises the Med2, Med3, Med5, Med15 and Med16 protein subunits, which are all encoded by genes that are individually non-essential for viability. In cells lacking Med16, Tail is displaced from Head and Middle. However, inactivation of MED5/MED15 and MED15/MED16 are synthetically lethal, indicating that Tail performs essential functions as a separate complex even when it is not bound to Middle and Head. We have used the N-Degron method to create temperature sensitive (ts) mutants in the Mediator tail subunits Med5, Med15 and Med16 to study the immediate effects on global gene expression when each subunit is individually inactivated, and when MED5/15 or MED15/16 are inactivated together.
Project description:The yeast Mediator complex can be divided into three modules, designated Head, Middle and Tail. Tail comprises the Med2, Med3, Med5, Med15 and Med16 protein subunits, which are all encoded by genes that are individually non-essential for viability. In cells lacking Med16, Tail is displaced from Head and Middle. However, inactivation of MED5/MED15 and MED15/MED16 are synthetically lethal, indicating that Tail performs essential functions as a separate complex even when it is not bound to Middle and Head. We have used the N-Degron method to create temperature sensitive (ts) mutants in the Mediator tail subunits Med5, Med15 and Med16 to study the immediate effects on global gene expression when each subunit is individually inactivated, and when MED5/15 or MED15/16 are inactivated together. All Degron constructs were expressed from their normal chromosomal location under the control of their respective endogenous promoters. We isolated RNA from each strain as early as 45 minutes after changing from the permissive to the restrictive growth conditions to minimize possible secondary effects on gene expression that are not directly caused by the Degron construct(s).
Project description:Mediator is a highly conserved transcriptional coactivator organized into four modules, namely Tail, Middle, Head and Kinase (CKM). Previous work suggests regulatory roles for Tail and CKM, but an integrated model for these activities is lacking. Here, we analyzed the genome-wide distribution of Mediator subunits in wild-type and mutant yeast cells in which RNA polymerase II promoter escape is blocked allowing detection of transient Mediator forms. We found that while all modules are recruited to upstream activated regions (UAS), assembly of Mediator within the pre-initiation complex is accompanied by the release of CKM. Interestingly, our data show that CKM regulates Mediator-UAS interaction rather than Mediator-promoter association. In addition, while Tail is required for Mediator recruitment to UAS, Tail-less Mediator nevertheless interacts with core promoters. Collectively, our data suggest that the essential function of Mediator is mediated by Head and Middle at core promoters, while Tail and CKM play regulatory roles.
Project description:Mediator is a highly conserved transcriptional coactivator organized into four modules, namely Tail, Middle, Head and Kinase (CKM). Previous work suggests regulatory roles for Tail and CKM, but an integrated model for these activities is lacking. Here, we analyzed the genome-wide distribution of Mediator subunits in wild-type and mutant yeast cells in which RNA polymerase II promoter escape is blocked allowing detection of transient Mediator forms. We found that while all modules are recruited to upstream activated regions (UAS), assembly of Mediator within the pre-initiation complex is accompanied by the release of CKM. Surprisingly, our data show that CKM regulates Mediator-UAS interaction rather than Mediator-promoter association. In addition, while Tail is required for Mediator recruitment to UAS, Tail-less Mediator nevertheless interacts with core promoters. Collectively, our data suggest that the essential function of Mediator is mediated by Head and Middle at core promoters, while Tail and CKM play regulatory roles.
Project description:Three general classes of yeast protein-coding genes are distinguished by their dependence on the transcription cofactors TFIID, SAGA and Mediator (MED) Tail, but little is known about whether this dependence is determined by the core promoter, Upstream activation sites (UAS), or other gene features. It is also unclear whether UASs can broadly activate transcription from the different promoter classes or whether efficient transcription requires matching UASs and promoters of similar gene class. Here we measure transcription and cofactor specificity for tens of thousands of UAS-core promoter combinations. We find that few UASs display strong core promoter specificity while most UASs can broadly activate promoters regardless of regulatory class. However, we find that matching UASs and promoters from the same gene class is generally important for optimal expression. We find that MED Tail and SAGA are dependent on the identity of both UAS and promoter while dependence on TFIID localizes to only the core promoter.