|
||
Department of Pathology and * Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
The carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the
largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) contains
multiple tandem copies of the consensus heptapeptide,
TyrSerProThrSerProSer. Concomitant with transcription initiation the CTD is phosphorylated. Elongating polymerase has a hyperphosphorylated CTD, but the
role of this modification is poorly understood. A recent
study revealed that some hyperphosphorylated polymerase molecules (Pol IIo) are nonchromosomal, and
hence transcriptionally unengaged (Bregman, D.B., L. Du, S. van der Zee, S.L. Warren. 1995. J. Cell Biol. 129:
287-298). Pol IIo was concentrated in discrete splicing
factor domains, suggesting a possible relationship between CTD phosphorylation and splicing factors, but
no evidence beyond immunolocalization data was provided to support this idea. Here, we show that Pol IIo
co-immunoprecipitates with members of two classes of
splicing factors, the Sm snRNPs and non-snRNP SerArg
(SR) family proteins. Significantly, Pol IIo's association
with splicing factors is maintained in the absence of
pre-mRNA, and the polymerase need not be transcriptionally engaged. We also provide definitive evidence
that hyperphosphorylation of Pol II's CTD is poorly
correlated with its transcriptional activity. Using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) H5 and H14, which are
shown here to recognize phosphoepitopes on Pol II's
CTD, we have quantitated the level of Pol IIo at different stages of the cell cycle. The level of Pol IIo is similar
in interphase and mitotic cells, which are transcriptionally active and inactive, respectively. Finally, complexes
containing Pol IIo and splicing factors can be prepared
from mitotic as well as interphase cells. The experiments reported here establish that hyperphosphorylation of the CTD is a good indicator of polymerase's
association with snRNP and SR splicing factors, but
not of its transcriptional activity. Most importantly,
the present study suggests that splicing factors may
associate with the polymerase via the hyperphosphorylated CTD.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|