Project description:According to previous studies, during Drosophila embryogenesis, RNA polymerase II is recruited to promoters at developmental stages preceding the stages of active transcription of genes. This work is aimed at exploring whether this mechanism is used during Drosophila metamorphosis. We performed ChIP-Seq analysis using antibodies to various modifications of RNA polymerase II (total, Pol II CTD Ser5P and Pol II CTD Ser2P), as well as to subunits of NELF, DSIF, PAF complexes and Brd4/Fs(1)h that control transcription elongation. We found that like in mid-embryogenesis during metamorphosis, promoters bind RNA polymerase II in the "paused" state preparing for activation at later stages of development. During mid-embryogenesis, RNA polymerase II in "pause" is phosphorylated at Ser5 and Ser2 of Rpb1 CTD and binds NELF, DSIF, and PAF complexes, but not Brd4/Fs(1)h. During metamorphosis, the "paused" RNA polymerase II complex includes Brd4/Fs(1)h in addition to NELF, DSIF, and PAF. The RNA polymerase II in this complex is phosphorylated at Ser5 at Rpb1 CTD, but not at Ser2.
Project description:Control of RNA transcription is critical for the development and homeostasis of all organisms, and can occur at multiple steps of the transcription cycle, including RNA polymerase II (Pol II) recruitment, initiation, promoter-proximal pausing, and elongation. That Pol II accumulates on many promoters in metazoans implies that steps other than Pol II recruitment are rate-limiting and regulated 1-6. By integrating genome-wide Pol II chromatin immunoprecipition (ChIP) and Global Run-On (GRO) genomic data sets from Drosophila cells, we examined critical features of Pol II near promoters. The accumulation of promoter-proximal polymerase is widespread, occurring on 70% of active genes; and unlike elongating Pol II within the body of genes, promoter Pol II are held paused by factors like NELF, unable to transcribe unless nuclei are treated with strong detergent. Notably, we find that the vast majority of promoter-proximal Pol II detected by ChIP are paused, thereby identifying the biochemical nature of this rate-limiting step in transcription. Finally, we demonstrate that Drosophila promoters do not have the upstream divergent Pol II that is seen so broadly and prominently on mammalian promoters. We postulate this is a consequence of Drosophila’s extensive use of directional core promoter sequence elements, which contrasts with mammals’ lack of directional elements and prevalence of CpG island core promoters. In support of this idea, we show that the fraction of mammalian promoters containing a TATA box core element is dramatically depleted of upstream divergent transcription.
Project description:Control of RNA transcription is critical for the development and homeostasis of all organisms, and can occur at multiple steps of the transcription cycle, including RNA polymerase II (Pol II) recruitment, initiation, promoter-proximal pausing, and elongation. That Pol II accumulates on many promoters in metazoans implies that steps other than Pol II recruitment are rate-limiting and regulated 1-6. By integrating genome-wide Pol II chromatin immunoprecipition (ChIP) and Global Run-On (GRO) genomic data sets from Drosophila cells, we examined critical features of Pol II near promoters. The accumulation of promoter-proximal polymerase is widespread, occurring on 70% of active genes; and unlike elongating Pol II within the body of genes, promoter Pol II are held paused by factors like NELF, unable to transcribe unless nuclei are treated with strong detergent. Notably, we find that the vast majority of promoter-proximal Pol II detected by ChIP are paused, thereby identifying the biochemical nature of this rate-limiting step in transcription. Finally, we demonstrate that Drosophila promoters do not have the upstream divergent Pol II that is seen so broadly and prominently on mammalian promoters. We postulate this is a consequence of Drosophila’s extensive use of directional core promoter sequence elements, which contrasts with mammals’ lack of directional elements and prevalence of CpG island core promoters. In support of this idea, we show that the fraction of mammalian promoters containing a TATA box core element is dramatically depleted of upstream divergent transcription. ChIP-seq data set for Pol II (rpb3) (2 replicates).