Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.7.6 (RNA polymerase)
 34,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The relation between chromatin structure and transcriptional activity was examined by in vitro transcription analysis of chromatin reconstituted in the absence or presence of histone H1. To maintain well-defined template DNA, purified components were used in the reconstitution of chromatin. Reconstitution of nucleosomal cores to an average density of 1 nucleosome per 200 base pairs of DNA resulted in a mild reduction of basal RNA polymerase II transcription to 25 to 50 percent of that obtained with naked DNA templates. This nucleosome-mediated repression was due to nucleosomal cores located at the RNA start site and could not be counteracted by the sequence-specific transcription activators Sp1 and GAL4-VP16. When H1 was incorporated into the chromatin at 0.5 to 1.0 molecule per nucleosome (200 base pairs of DNA), RNA synthesis was reduced to 1 to 4 percent of that observed with chromatin containing only nucleosomal cores, and this H1-mediated repression could be counteracted by the addition of Sp1 or GAL4-VP16 (antirepression). With naked DNA templates, transcription was increased by a factor of 3 and 8 by Sp1 and GAL4-VP-16, respectively (true activation). With H1-repressed chromatin templates, however, the magnitude of transcriptional activation mediated by Sp1 and GAL4-VP16 was 90 and more than 200 times higher, respectively, because of the combined effects of true activation and antirepression. The data provide direct biochemical evidence that support and clarify previously proposed models in which there is depletion or reconfiguration of nucleosomal cores and histone H1 at the promoter regions of active genes.
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PMID:Role of nucleosomal cores and histone H1 in regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. 171 39

A patient with secondary acute myelomonocytic leukemia after treatment with chronic oral etoposide (VP-16) for lung cancer is reported. The leukemic cells showed a t(9;11)(p22;q23) translocation. Southern blot analysis revealed the rearrangement of the MLL (ALL-1/HRX) gene at 11q23. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed a chimeric mRNA between the MLL gene at 11q23 and LTG9 (MLLT3/AF-9) gene at 9p22. The patient was successfully treated with a VP-16 based regimen. This case is instructive in the understanding of the leukemogenesis of VP-16-related leukemias.
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PMID:Acute myelomonocytic leukemia after treatment with chronic oral etoposide: are MLL and LTG9 genes targets for etoposide? 794 64

The copper complexes of furan oxime derivatives were found to be potent cytotoxic agents in both murine and human tissue cultured cell lines which were either suspended or solid tumors. The ED50 values were frequently improved over the clinically useful antineoplastic agents. These copper complexes of 2-furaldehyde oximes were effective inhibitors of L1210 lymphoid leukemia DNA synthesis followed by RNA synthesis. Purine synthesis regulatory enzyme activities were markedly reduced by the compounds with marginal inhibition of t-RNA polymerase, and nucleoside kinases activities. L1210 DNA topoisomerase II activity was markedly reduced with IC50 values better than the standard VP-16, etoposide. Yet, the copper complexes caused no further protein linked breaks than VP-16 did, but did block phosphorylation activation of the topoisomerase II enzyme.
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PMID:Cytotoxicity of copper complexes of 2-furaldehyde oxime derivatives in murine and human tissue cultured cell lines. 925 56

Amine-carboxyboranes with varying alkyl chain lengths were observed to be potent cytotoxic agents inhibiting the growth of a number of histological types of murine, rat, and human tumors. These agents preferentially reduced L1210 DNA synthesis with marked inhibition of the activities of regulatory enzymes of the purine pathway. Other enzyme activities which were marginally reduced were DNA polymerase alpha, ribonucleoside reductase, dihydrofolate reductase, t-RNA polymerase, and nucleoside kinases. Pyrimidine nucleotide pools were not reduced but DNA strand scission occurred after 24 h incubation with the agents. The amine-carboxyboranes were not DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors at 100 microM. The agents did not cause DNA protein linked breaks themselves; nevertheless, VP-16 [etoposide] induced DNA protein linked breaks were increased two fold in the presence of the agents suggesting synergistic effects. The amine-carboxyboranes decreased protein kinase C mediated phosphorylation of L1210 topoisomerase II protein, potentially decreasing its enzymatic catalytic activity. Thus, the amine-carboxyboranes did not function like VP-16 in affording cleavable products but were synergistic with VP-16 in causing DNA fragmentation. The agents were also additive with VP-16 in reducing tumor cell number, soft-agar colony growth and DNA synthesis and in producing DNA strand scission.
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PMID:Effects of alkyl amine carboxyboranes on L1210 DNA fragmentation and nucleic acid metabolism. 969 Dec 46

In the nucleus of the cell, core RNA polymerase II (pol II) is associated with a large complex called the pol II holoenzyme (holo-pol). Transcription by core pol II in vitro on nucleosomal templates is repressed compared with that on templates of histone-free naked DNA. We found that the transcriptional activity of holo-pol, in contrast to that of core pol II, is not markedly repressed on chromatin templates. We refer to this property of holo-pol as chromatin-dependent coactivation (CDC). Here we show that DNA topoisomerase IIalpha is associated with the holo-pol and is a required component of CDC. Etoposide and ICRF-193, specific inhibitors of topoisomerase II, blocked transcription on chromatin templates, but did not affect transcription on naked templates. Addition of purified topoisomerase IIalpha reconstituted CDC activity in reactions with core pol II. These findings suggest that transcription on chromatin templates results in the accumulation of superhelical tension, making the relaxation activity of topoisomerase II essential for productive RNA synthesis on nucleosomal DNA.
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PMID:DNA topoisomerase IIalpha is required for RNA polymerase II transcription on chromatin templates. 1157 92

Multidrug resistance has been a major problem in cancer chemotherapy. In this study, in vitro and in vivo modulations of MDR by ginsenoside Rg(3), a red ginseng saponin, were investigated. In flow cytometric analysis using rhodamine 123 as an artificial substrate, Rg(3) promoted accumulation of rhodamine 123 in drug-resistant KBV20C cells in a dose-dependent manner, but it had no effect on parental KB cells. Additionally Rg(3) inhibited [3H]vinblastine efflux and reversed MDR to doxorubicin, COL, VCR, and VP-16 in KBV20C cells. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immuno-blot analysis after exposure of KBV20C cells to Rg(3) showed that inhibition of drug efflux by Rg(3) was due to neither repression of MDR1 gene expression nor Pgp level. Photo-affinity labeling study with [3H]azidopine, however, revealed that Rg(3) competed with [3H]azidopine for binding to the Pgp demonstrating that Rg(3) competed with anticancer drug for binding to Pgp thereby blocking drug efflux. Furthermore, Rg(3) increased life span in mice implanted with DOX-resistant murine leukemia P388 cells in vivo and inhibited body weight increase significantly.
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PMID:Reversal of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance by ginsenoside Rg(3). 1247 81

The MLL gene is frequently involved in chromosomal translocations associated with high-risk acute leukaemia. Infant and therapy-related acute leukaemia patients display chromosomal breakpoints preferentially clustered in the telomeric portion of the MLL breakpoint cluster region (SCII). Here, we demonstrate that SCII colocalizes with a gene-internal promoter element in the mouse and human MLL gene, respectively. The mRNA generated encodes an N-terminally truncated version of MLL that still exhibits many functional regions, including the C-terminal SET-domain. Etoposide-induced DNA double-strand breaks colocalize with the binding site of RNA polymerase II and the transcription initiation region, but not with a nearby Topo II consensus sequence. Thus, the observed genomic instability of the human MLL gene is presumably linked to transcriptional processes. The consequences of this novel finding for the creation of chromosomal translocations, the biology of the MLL protein and for MLL-mediated acute leukaemia are discussed.
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PMID:Transcription linked to recombination: a gene-internal promoter coincides with the recombination hot spot II of the human MLL gene. 1698 45

Being involved in an anti-Flaviviridae Project, and because of the role played by benzimidazole derivatives as promising inhibitors of the HCV helicase and RNA polymerase, as well as of the Zn finger transcription factor, we synthesized a new series of 2-arylbenzimidazoles and evaluated them for antiviral activity, as well as for antiproliferative activity. Compounds were tested in cell-based assays against viruses representative of: i) two of the three genera of the Flaviviridae family, i.e. Flaviviruses and Pestiviruses; ii) other RNA virus families, such as Retroviridae, Picornaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae and Reoviridae; iii) two DNA virus families (Herpesviridae and Poxviridae). Compounds 15, 28 and 29 resulted moderately active only against Yellow Fever Virus (a Flavivirus) (range 6-27 microM), whereas none of the title benzimidazoles showed any antiviral activity at concentrations not cytotoxic for the resting cell monolayers. Compounds were also tested for antiproliferative activity against a panel of exponentially growing cell lines derived from human haematological and solid tumors. Several new benzimidazoles turned out active. Among them, compound 27 was the most potent against human haematologic and solid tumor cells and turned out to be as potent as Etoposide and more potent than 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), used as reference antitumor agents.
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PMID:2-Arylbenzimidazoles as antiviral and antiproliferative agents. Part 1. 1899 46

Telomeric repeat-containing RNAs (TERRAs) are long noncoding RNAs transcribed from subtelomeres toward telomeric repeat tracts, which have been implicated in telomere protection and heterochromatin formation. Genotoxic stress leads to upregulation of TERRAs. However, the mechanism of DNA damage-mediated TERRA induction remains elusive. Here, we treated HeLa cells with etoposide, a DNA double-strand break-generating agent, for various times and monitored the levels of TERRAs. Etoposide treatment led to a gradual time-dependent increase in TERRAs. Etoposide-mediated induction was evident in many TERRAs arising from various chromosome loci, including 20q and XpYp. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed no significant changes in the occupancy of RNA polymerase II at telomeres upon etoposide treatment. Interestingly, TERRAs arising from 20q, XpYp, 10q, and 13q degraded at slower rates in cells treated with etoposide, while degradation rates of TERRAs from many loci tested were nearly identical in both etoposide- and mock-treated cells. Telomere damage occurred from early time points of etoposide treatment, but telomere lengths and abundance of telomeric repeat-binding factor 2 (TRF2) at telomeres remained unchanged. In summary, etoposide treatment led to telomere damage and TERRA accumulation, but telomere lengths and TRF2-mediated telomere integrity were maintained. Etoposide-mediated TERRA accumulation could be attributed partly to RNA stabilization. These findings may provide insight into the post-transcriptional regulation of TERRAs in response to DNA damage.
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PMID:Increased amounts and stability of telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) following DNA damage induced by etoposide. 3175 21