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Termination of non‐coding transcription in yeast relies on both an RNA Pol II CTD interaction domain and a CTD‐mimicking region in Sen1
Author(s) -
Han Zhong,
Jasnovidova Olga,
Haidara Nouhou,
Tudek Agnieszka,
Kubicek Karel,
Libri Domenico,
Stefl Richard,
Porrua Odil
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.15252/embj.2019101548
Subject(s) - karel , ctd , transcription (linguistics) , library science , art history , art , philosophy , computer science , linguistics , oceanography , geology
Pervasive transcription is a widespread phenomenon leading to the production of a plethora of non‐coding RNA s (nc RNA s) without apparent function. Pervasive transcription poses a threat to proper gene expression that needs to be controlled. In yeast, the highly conserved helicase Sen1 restricts pervasive transcription by inducing termination of non‐coding transcription. However, the mechanisms underlying the specific function of Sen1 at nc RNA s are poorly understood. Here, we identify a motif in an intrinsically disordered region of Sen1 that mimics the phosphorylated carboxy‐terminal domain ( CTD ) of RNA polymerase II , and structurally characterize its recognition by the CTD ‐interacting domain of Nrd1, an RNA ‐binding protein that binds specific sequences in nc RNA s. In addition, we show that Sen1‐dependent termination strictly requires CTD recognition by the N‐terminal domain of Sen1. We provide evidence that the Sen1‐ CTD interaction does not promote initial Sen1 recruitment, but rather enhances Sen1 capacity to induce the release of paused RNAPII from the DNA . Our results shed light on the network of protein–protein interactions that control termination of non‐coding transcription by Sen1.