Pathway: RNA Polymerase II Transcription Elongation
Reactions in pathway: RNA Polymerase II Transcription Elongation :
RNA Polymerase II Transcription Elongation
The mechanisms governing the process of elongation during eukaryotic mRNA synthesis are being unraveled by recent studies. These studies have led to the expected discovery of a diverse collection of transcription factors that directly regulate the activities of RNA Polymerase II and unexpected discovery of roles for many elongation factors in other basic processes like DNA repair, recombination, etc. The transcription machinery and structural features of the major RNA polymerases are conserved across species. The genes active during elongation fall under different classes like, housekeeping, cell-cycle regulated, development and differentiation specific genes etc. The list of genes involved in elongation has been growing in recent times, and include: -TFIIS,DSIF, NELF, P-Tefb etc. that are involved in drug induced or sequence-dependent arrest - TFIIF, ELL, elongin, elongator etc. that are involved in increasing the catalytic rate of elongation by altering the Km and/or the Vmax of Pol II -FACT, Paf1 and other factors that are involved chromatin modification - DNA repair proteins, RNA processing and export factors, the 19S proteasome and a host of other factors like Spt5-Spt5, Paf1, and NELF complexes, FCP1P etc. (Arndt and Kane, 2003). Elongation also represents processive phase of transcription in which the activities of several mRNA processing factors are coupled to transcription through their binding to RNA polymerase (Pol II). One of the key events that enables this interaction is the differential phosphorylation of Pol II CTD. Phosphorylation pattern of CTD changes during transcription, most significantly at the beginning and during elongation process. TFIIH-dependent Ser5 phosphorylation is observed primarily at promoter regions while P-Tefb mediated Ser2 phosphorylation is seen mainly in the coding regions, during elongation. Experimental evidence suggests a dynamic association of RNA processing factors with differently modified forms of the polymerase during the transcription cycle. (Komarnitsky et al., 2000). [Komarnitsky et al 2000, Arndt & Kane 2003, Shilatifard et al 2003]
RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is the central enzyme that catalyses DNA- directed mRNA synthesis during the transcription of protein-coding genes. Pol II consists of a 10-subunit catalytic core, which alone is capable of elongating the RNA transcript, and a complex of two subunits, Rpb4/7, that is required for transcription initiation.
The transcription cycle is divided in three major phases: initiation, elongation, and termination. Transcription initiation include promoter DNA binding, DNA melting, and initial synthesis of short RNA transcripts. The transition from initiation to elongation, is referred to as promoter escape and leads to a stable elongation complex that is characterized by an open DNA region or transcription bubble. The bubble contains the DNA-RNA hybrid, a heteroduplex of eight to nine base pairs. The growing 3-end of the RNA is engaged with the polymerase complex active site. Ultimately transcription terminates and Pol II dissocitates from the template.
The transcription cycle is divided in three major phases: initiation, elongation, and termination. Transcription initiation include promoter DNA binding, DNA melting, and initial synthesis of short RNA transcripts. The transition from initiation to elongation, is referred to as promoter escape and leads to a stable elongation complex that is characterized by an open DNA region or transcription bubble. The bubble contains the DNA-RNA hybrid, a heteroduplex of eight to nine base pairs. The growing 3-end of the RNA is engaged with the polymerase complex active site. Ultimately transcription terminates and Pol II dissocitates from the template.
Gene expression encompasses transcription and translation and the regulation of these processes. RNA Polymerase I Transcription produces the large preribosomal RNA transcript (45S pre-rRNA) that is processed to yield 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and 5.8S rRNA, accounting for about half the RNA in a cell. RNA Polymerase II transcription produces messenger RNAs (mRNA) as well as a subset of non-coding RNAs including many small nucleolar RNAs (snRNA) and microRNAs (miRNA). RNA Polymerase III Transcription produces transfer RNAs (tRNA), 5S RNA, 7SL RNA, and U6 snRNA. Transcription from mitochondrial promoters is performed by the mitochondrial RNA polymerase, POLRMT, to yield long transcripts from each DNA strand that are processed to yield 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, tRNAs, and a few RNAs encoding components of the electron transport chain. Regulation of gene expression can be divided into epigenetic regulation, transcriptional regulation, and post-transcription regulation (comprising translational efficiency and RNA stability). Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is the result of heritable chemical modifications to DNA and DNA-binding proteins such as histones. Epigenetic changes result in altered chromatin complexes that influence transcription. Gene Silencing by RNA mostly occurs post-transcriptionally but can also affect transcription. Small RNAs originating from the genome (miRNAs) or from exogenous RNA (siRNAs) are processed and transferred to the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), which interacts with complementary RNA to cause cleavage, translational inhibition, or transcriptional inhibition.