Open AccessRecruitment of the Putative Transcription-Repair Coupling Factor CSB/ERCC6 to RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes
Author(s) -
Dean Tantin,
Ashna Kansal,
Michael Carey
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.17.12.6803
Subject(s) - biology , nucleotide excision repair , rna polymerase ii , transcription (linguistics) , microbiology and biotechnology , dna polymerase , dna repair , dna , transcription factor ii e , rna , polymerase , genetics , promoter , rna dependent rna polymerase , gene expression , gene , linguistics , philosophy
Cockayne's syndrome (CS) is a disease characterized by developmental and growth defects, sunlight sensitivity, and a defect in transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair. The two principle proteins involved in CS, CSA and CSB/ERCC6, have been hypothesized to bind RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and link transcription to DNA repair. We have tested CSA and CSB in assays designed to determine their role in transcription-coupled repair. Using a unique oligo(dC)-tailed DNA template, we provide biochemical evidence that CSB/ERCC6 interacts with Pol II molecules engaged in ternary complexes containing DNA and nascent RNA. CSB is a DNA-activated ATPase, and hydrolysis of the ATP beta-gamma phosphoanhydride bond is required for the formation of a stable Pol II-CSB-DNA-RNA complex. Unlike CSB, CSA does not directly bind Pol II.