Mechanism of RNA polymerase I selection by transcription factor UAF.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35442737.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abn5725 and PMC identifier 9020658.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Preribosomal RNA is selectively transcribed by RNA polymerase (Pol) I in eukaryotes. The yeast transcription factor upstream activating factor (UAF) represses Pol II transcription and mediates Pol I preinitiation complex (PIC) formation at the 35<i>S</i> ribosomal RNA gene. To visualize the molecular intermediates toward PIC formation, we determined the structure of UAF in complex with native promoter DNA and transcription factor TATA-box-binding protein (TBP). We found that UAF recognizes DNA using a hexameric histone-like scaffold with markedly different interactions compared with the nucleosome and the histone-fold-rich transcription factor IID (TFIID). In parallel, UAF positions TBP for Core Factor binding, which leads to Pol I recruitment, while sequestering it from DNA and Pol II/III-specific transcription factors. Our work thus reveals the structural basis of RNA Pol selection by a transcription factor.
Medical subject headings
- DNA-Binding Proteins
- RNA Polymerase I