Premium
RNA pol II subunit RPB7 is required for RNA pol I‐mediated transcription in Trypanosoma brucei
Author(s) -
Peñate Xenia,
LópezFarfán Diana,
Landeira David,
Wentland Amy,
Vidal Isabel,
Navarro Miguel
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/embor.2008.244
Subject(s) - rna polymerase ii , rna polymerase iii , biology , transcription (linguistics) , rna polymerase i , transcription factor ii d , microbiology and biotechnology , trypanosoma brucei , rna polymerase ii holoenzyme , rna polymerase , rna , genetics , gene , promoter , gene expression , linguistics , philosophy
In the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei , the two main surface glycoprotein genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase I (pol I) instead of RNA pol II, the polymerase committed to the production of mRNA in eukaryotes. This unusual feature might be accomplished by the recruitment of specific subunits or cofactors that allow pol I to transcribe protein‐coding RNAs. Here, we report that transcription mediated by pol I requires TbRPB7, a dissociable subunit of the pol II complex. TbRPB7 was found to interact with two pol I‐specific subunits, TbRPA1 and TbRPB6z. Pol I‐specific transcription was affected on depletion of TbRPB7 in run‐on assays, whereas recombinant TbRPB7 increased transcription driven by a pol I promoter. These results represent a unique example of a functional RNA polymerase chimaera consisting of a core pol I complex that recruits a specific pol II subunit.