Project description:DNA topoisomerases are known to promote transcription in prokaryotes by removing excessive DNA supercoils produced during elongation. However, it is unclear how topoisomerases in eukaryotes are recruited and function in the transcription pathway in the context of nucleosomes. To address this problem we present high-resolution genome wide maps of one of the major eukaryotic topoisomerases, Topoisomerase II (Top2) and nucleosomes in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our data indicate that at promoters Top2 binds primarily to DNA that is nucleosome free. However, while nucleosome loss enables Top2 occupancy the opposite is not the case and the loss of Top2 has little effect on nucleosome density. We also find that Top2 is involved in transcription. Not only is Top2 enriched at highly transcribed genes but Top2 is required redundantly with Top1 for optimal recruitment of RNA polymerase II at their promoters. These findings and the examination of candidate activated genes suggest that nucleosome loss induced by nucleosome remodeling factors during gene activation enable Top2 binding which in turn acts redundantly with Top1 to enhance recruitment of RNA polymerase II.
Project description:Transcription activation involves RNA polymerase II (Pol II) recruitment and release from the promoter into productive elongation, but how specific chromatin regulators control these steps is unclear. Here we identify a novel activity of the histone acetyltransferase p300/CBP in regulating promoter-proximal paused Pol II. We find that Drosophila CBP (nejire) inhibition impedes transcription through the +1 nucleosome leading to accumulation of Pol II at this position on all expressed genes. Promoters strongly occupied by CBP and GAGA-factor have high levels of paused Pol II, a unique chromatin signature and strong expression regardless of cell type. Interestingly, CBP activity is rate-limiting for Pol II recruitment to these highly-paused promoters through an interaction with TFIIB, but for transit into elongation by histone acetylation at other genes. Thus, CBP directly stimulates both Pol II recruitment and the ability to traverse the first nucleosome, thereby promoting transcription of most genes. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Project description:The twin supercoiled domain model posits that, as RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) transcribes a gene, it generates negative and positive supercoils upstream and downstream respectively, but little is known about the functional consequence in vivo of the resulting torsional strain. Here we provide a method for high resolution mapping of DNA supercoils using next-generation sequencing, and show that the level of supercoiling is correlated with gene expression in Drosophila cells. Inhibition of topoisomerases, enzymes that relieve torsional strain, leads to accumulation of supercoils surrounding gene bodies and of Pol II at the transcription start sites. Topoisomerase I inhibition results in increased nascent RNA transcripts with Topoisomerase II inhibition shows little change in nascent RNA levels. Despite these different effects on transcription, inhibition of either enzyme results in increased nucleosome turnover within gene bodies, suggesting that torsional stress contributes to destabilizing nucleosomes ahead of Pol II. 12 paired-end samples and 8 single-end samples were sequenced and analyzed.
Project description:Nuclear myosin 1c (NM1) is emerging as regulator of transcription and chromatin organization. Using a genome-wide approach we report here that NM1 binds across the mammalian genome with occupancy peaks at class II gene promoters, correlating with distributions of RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) and active epigenetic marks. We show that NM1 synergizes with polymerase-associated actin to maintain active Pol II at gene promoters. NM1 also co-localizes with the nucleosome remodeler SNF2h at class II promoters where they assemble together with WSTF as part of the B-WICH complex to remodel chromatin. Following B-WICH assembly, NM1 mediates physical recruitment of the histone acetyl transferase PCAF and the histone methyl transferase Set1/Ash2 to maintain and preserve H3K9acetylation and H3K4trimethylation for active transcription. We propose a novel genome-wide mechanism where myosin synergizes with Pol II-associated actin to link the polymerase machinery with permissive chromatin for transcription activation. Association of nuclear myosin 1 (NM1) with the genome in mouse embryonic fibroblasts
Project description:Replication forks temporarily or terminally pause at hundreds of hard-to-replicate regions around the genome. A conserved pair of budding yeast replisome components Tof1-Csm3 (fission yeast Swi1-Swi3 and human TIMELESS-TIPIN) acts as a ‘molecular brake’ and promotes fork slowdown at proteinaceous replication fork barriers (RFBs), while the accessory helicase Rrm3 assists the replisome in removing protein obstacles. Here we show that Tof1-Csm3 complex promotes fork pausing independently of Rrm3 helicase by recruiting topoisomerase I (Top1) to the replisome. Topoisomerase II (Top2) partially compensates for the pausing decrease in cells when Top1 is lost from the replisome. The C-terminus of Tof1 is specifically required for Top1 recruitment to the replisome and fork pausing but not for DNA replication checkpoint (DRC) activation. We propose that forks pause at proteinaceous RFBs through a ‘sTOP’ mechanism (‘slowing down with TOPoisomerases I-II’), which we show also contributes to protecting cells from topoisomerase-blocking agents.
Project description:Under current models for signal-dependent transcription in eukaryotes, DNA-binding activator proteins regulate the recruitment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to a set of target promoters. Yet, recent studies, as well as our results herein, show that Pol II is widely distributed (i.e., "preloaded") at the promoters of many genes prior to specific signaling events. How Pol II recruitment and Pol II preloading fit within a unified model of gene regulation is unclear. In addition, the mechanisms through which cellular signals activate preloaded Pol II across mammalian genomes remain largely unknown. Here we show that the predominant genomic outcome of estrogen signaling is the post-recruitment regulation of Pol II activity through phosphorylation, rather than recruitment of Pol II. Furthermore, we show that negative elongation factor (NELF) binds to estrogen target promoters in conjunction with preloaded Pol II and represses gene expression until the appropriate signal is received. Finally, our studies reveal that the estrogen-dependent activation of preloaded Pol II facilitates rapid transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses which play important physiological roles in regulating estrogen signaling itself. Our results reveal a broad use of post-recruitment Pol II regulation by the estrogen signaling pathway, a mode of regulation that is likely to apply to a wide variety of signal-regulated pathways. ChIP-chip analysis for RNA Pol II, Ser5 phosphorylated RNA Pol II and NELF-A in MCF7 breast cancer cells.
Project description:RNA polymerase II (Pol II) elongation is a critical step in gene expression. Here we find that NDF, which was identified as a bilaterian nucleosome-destabilizing factor, is also a Pol II transcription factor that stimulates elongation with plain DNA templates in the absence of nucleosomes. NDF binds directly to Pol II and enhances elongation by a different mechanism than does transcription factor TFIIS. Moreover, yeast Pdp3, which is related to NDF, binds to Pol II and stimulates elongation. Thus, NDF is a Pol II-binding transcription elongation factor that is localized over gene bodies and is conserved from yeast to humans.
Project description:The twin supercoiled domain model posits that, as RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) transcribes a gene, it generates negative and positive supercoils upstream and downstream respectively, but little is known about the functional consequence in vivo of the resulting torsional strain. Here we provide a method for high resolution mapping of DNA supercoils using next-generation sequencing, and show that the level of supercoiling is correlated with gene expression in Drosophila cells. Inhibition of topoisomerases, enzymes that relieve torsional strain, leads to accumulation of supercoils surrounding gene bodies and of Pol II at the transcription start sites. Topoisomerase I inhibition results in increased nascent RNA transcripts with Topoisomerase II inhibition shows little change in nascent RNA levels. Despite these different effects on transcription, inhibition of either enzyme results in increased nucleosome turnover within gene bodies, suggesting that torsional stress contributes to destabilizing nucleosomes ahead of Pol II.
Project description:Under current models for signal-dependent transcription in eukaryotes, DNA-binding activator proteins regulate the recruitment of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to a set of target promoters. Yet, recent studies, as well as our results herein, show that Pol II is widely distributed (i.e., "preloaded") at the promoters of many genes prior to specific signaling events. How Pol II recruitment and Pol II preloading fit within a unified model of gene regulation is unclear. In addition, the mechanisms through which cellular signals activate preloaded Pol II across mammalian genomes remain largely unknown. Here we show that the predominant genomic outcome of estrogen signaling is the post-recruitment regulation of Pol II activity through phosphorylation, rather than recruitment of Pol II. Furthermore, we show that negative elongation factor (NELF) binds to estrogen target promoters in conjunction with preloaded Pol II and represses gene expression until the appropriate signal is received. Finally, our studies reveal that the estrogen-dependent activation of preloaded Pol II facilitates rapid transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses which play important physiological roles in regulating estrogen signaling itself. Our results reveal a broad use of post-recruitment Pol II regulation by the estrogen signaling pathway, a mode of regulation that is likely to apply to a wide variety of signal-regulated pathways.
Project description:Carbonic anhydrase 1 (Car1), an early specific marker of the erythroid differentiation, has been used to distinguish fetal and adult erythroid cells since its production closely follows the γ- to β-globin transition, but the molecular mechanism underlying transcriptional regulation of Car1 is unclear. Here, we show that Car1 mRNA decreases significantly when erythroid differentiation is induced in MEL cells. The Ldb1 protein complex including GATA1/SCL/LMO2 binds to the Car1 promoter in uninduced cells and reduced enrichment of the complex during differentiation correlates with loss of Car1 expression. Knockdown of Ldb1 results in a reduction of Ser2 phosphorylated RNA Pol II and Cdk9 at the Car1 promoter region, suggesting that Ldb1 is required for recruitment of Pol II as well as the transcription regulator P-TEFb to enhance elongation of Car1 transcripts. Taken together, these data show that Ldb1 forms a regulatory complex to maintain Car1 expression in erythroid cells. Expression analysis of induced and uninduced MEL cells after control or Ldb1 shRNA knockdown.