Skip to main content
Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters logoLink to Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters
. 2007 Oct 29;13(1):112–118. doi: 10.2478/s11658-007-0041-y

The transcription reinitiation properties of RNA polymerase III in the absence of transcription factors

Roberto Ferrari 1, Giorgio Dieci 1,
PMCID: PMC6275715  PMID: 17965971

Abstract

Transcription reinitiation by RNA polymerase (Pol) III proceeds through facilitated recycling, a process by which the terminating Pol III, assisted by the transcription factors TFIIIB and TFIIIC, rapidly reloads onto the same transcription unit. To get further insight into the Pol III transcription mechanism, we analyzed the kinetics of transcription initiation and reinitiation of a simplified in vitro transcription system consisting only of Pol III and template DNA. The data indicates that, in the absence of transcription factors, first-round transcription initiation by Pol III proceeds at a normal rate, while facilitated reinitiation during subsequent cycles is compromised.

Key words: RNA polymerase III, Transcription reinitiation, TFIIIB, G-less cassette

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (363.9 KB).

Abbreviations used

NTP

ribonucleoside triphosphate

PIC

pre-initiation complex

Pol

RNA polymerase

TF

transcription factor

References

  • 1.Dieci G., Sentenac A. Detours and shortcuts to transcription reinitiation. Trends. Biochem. Sci. 2003;28:202–209. doi: 10.1016/S0968-0004(03)00054-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Dieci G., Sentenac A. Facilitated recycling pathway for RNA polymerase III. Cell. 1996;84:245–252. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80979-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Ferrari R., Rivetti C., Acker J., Dieci G. Distinct roles of transcription factors TFIIIB and TFIIIC in RNA polymerase III transcription reinitiation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2004;101:13442–13447. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0403851101. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Landrieux E., Alic N., Ducrot C., Acker J., Riva M., Carles C. A subcomplex of RNA polymerase III subunits involved in transcription termination and reinitiation. EMBO J. 2006;25:118–128. doi: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600915. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Dieci G., Percudani R., Giuliodori S., Bottarelli L., Ottonello S. TFIIIC-independent in vitro transcription of yeast tRNA genes. J. Mol. Biol. 2000;299:601–613. doi: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.3783. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Huet J., Manaud N., Dieci G., Peyroche G., Conesa C., Lefebvre O., Ruet A., Riva M., Sentenac A. RNA polymerase III and class III transcription factors from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods Enzymol. 1996;273:249–267. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(96)73024-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Bardeleben C., Kassavetis G.A., Geiduschek E.P. Encounters of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA polymerase III with its transcription factors during RNA chain elongation. J. Mol. Biol. 1994;235:1193–1205. doi: 10.1006/jmbi.1994.1073. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Campbell F.E., Jr., Setzer D.R. Transcription termination by RNA polymerase III: uncoupling of polymerase release from termination signal recognition. Mol. Cell. Biol. 1992;12:2260–2272. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.5.2260. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Kassavetis G. A., Riggs D.L., Negri R., Nguyen L.H., Geiduschek E.P. Transcription factor IIIB generates extended DNA interactions in RNA polymerase transcription complexes on tRNA genes. Mol. Cell. Biol. 1989;9:2551–2566. doi: 10.1128/mcb.9.6.2551. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Braglia P., Dugas S.L., Donze D., Dieci G. Requirement of Nhp6 proteins for transcription of a subset of tRNA genes and heterochromatin barrier function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol. Cell. Biol. 2007;27:1545–1557. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00773-06. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters are provided here courtesy of BMC

RESOURCES