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Science 14 December 2007:
Vol. 318. no. 5857, pp. 1777 - 1779
DOI: 10.1126/science.1145989
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Reports

Serine-7 of the RNA Polymerase II CTD Is Specifically Required for snRNA Gene Expression

Sylvain Egloff,1 Dawn O'Reilly,1 Rob D. Chapman,2 Alice Taylor,1 Katrin Tanzhaus,1 Laura Pitts,1 Dirk Eick,2 Shona Murphy1*

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcribes genes that encode proteins and noncoding small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). The carboxyl-terminal repeat domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of mammalian RNA Pol II, comprising tandem repeats of the heptapeptide consensus Tyr1-Ser2-Pro3-Thr4-Ser5-Pro6-Ser7, is required for expression of both gene types. We show that mutation of serine-7 to alanine causes a specific defect in snRNA gene expression. We also present evidence that phosphorylation of serine-7 facilitates interaction with the snRNA gene–specific Integrator complex. These findings assign a biological function to this amino acid and highlight a gene type–specific requirement for a residue within the CTD heptapeptide, supporting the existence of a CTD code.

1 Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.
2 Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumour Genetics, Gesellschaft fuer Strahlung Forschung (GSF)-Research Centre of Environment and Health, Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CiPSM), Marchioninistrasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: shona.murphy{at}path.ox.ac.uk

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Properties of an Intergenic Terminator and Start Site Switch That Regulate IMD2 Transcription in Yeast.
M. H. Jenks, T. W. O'Rourke, and D. Reines (2008)
Mol. Cell. Biol. 28, 3883-3893
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Human U2 snRNA Genes Exhibit a Persistently Open Transcriptional State and Promoter Disassembly at Metaphase.
T. Pavelitz, A. D. Bailey, C. P. Elco, and A. M. Weiner (2008)
Mol. Cell. Biol. 28, 3573-3588
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Essential Sequence Elements Required for RNAP II Carboxyl-terminal Domain Function in Yeast and Their Evolutionary Conservation.
P. Liu, A. L. Greenleaf, and J. W. Stiller (2008)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 25, 719-727
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Transcribing RNA Polymerase II Is Phosphorylated at CTD Residue Serine-7.
R. D. Chapman, M. Heidemann, T. K. Albert, R. Mailhammer, A. Flatley, M. Meisterernst, E. Kremmer, and D. Eick (2007)
Science 318, 1780-1782
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)