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

The relative rotation between RNA polymerase and DNA during transcription elongation can lead to supercoiling of the DNA template. However, the variables that influence the efficiency of supercoiling by RNA polymerase in vivo are poorly understood, despite the importance of supercoiling for DNA metabolism. We describe a model system to measure the rate of supercoiling by transcription and to estimate the rates of topoisomerase turnover in Escherichia coli. Transcription in a strain lacking topoisomerase I can lead to optimal supercoiling, wherein nearly one positive and one negative superturn are produced for each 10.4 base pairs transcribed. This rapid efficient supercoiling is observed during transcription of membrane-associated gene products, encoded by tet (the gene for tetracycline resistance) and phoA (the gene for E. coli alkaline phosphatase), when the genes are oppositely oriented. Replacement of tet by cat, the gene from Tn9 encoding resistance to chloramphenicol, whose gene product is soluble in the cytosol, reduces the efficiency of supercoiling by RNA polymerase. In a wild-type topoisomerase background, both gyrase and topoisomerase I are kinetically competent to relieve superturns produced by transcription. These results suggest that the level of DNA supercoiling in vivo is probably determined by topoisomerase activity, not by transcription.
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PMID:Dynamics of DNA supercoiling by transcription in Escherichia coli. 133 53

It has been proposed that transcriptionally active chromatin contains totally unconstrained supercoiling. The results of recent studies have raised the possibility that this topological state is the property of highly transcribed genes. Since the transcription rate of RNA polymerase II genes can be dramatically increased by the presence of an enhancer, we have determined if the transcription complex of an enhancer-activated plasmid contains totally unconstrained supercoils. Following transfection into COS7 cells, the topology of the transcription complex DNA was determined directly by agarose gel electrophoresis. We find that an enhancer-activated plasmid transcription complex is supercoiled, and these supercoils remain following topoisomerase I treatment. Thus the transcribing complexes contain constrained supercoils, and the level of supercoiling suggests a nucleosome-like organization. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that unconstrained supercoils exist in addition to these constrained supercoils in the transcription complex in the cell.
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PMID:Enhancer-activated plasmid transcription complexes contain constrained supercoiling. 165 Apr 58

This paper shows that in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae the levels of most mRNAs decrease, in a temporally orchestrated manner, as cells approach and enter the stationary phase. The decreased level of mRNAs is primarily due to transcriptional repression because the overall rate of in vivo transcription by RNA polymerase II is similarly reduced in the stationary phase. The reduction in mRNA levels and the general transcriptional repression are both dependent on topoisomerase I (encoded by TOP1). Specifically, these two processes are much slower in top1 mutants, as their mRNA levels and transcriptional rate remain unchanged for a longer period of time in the stationary phase before they start to decrease. In contrast, the mRNA levels in the stationary phase are not affected by perturbation of topoisomerase II activity. TOP1-dependent repression operates even on HSP26 and SSA3, which have been shown previously to be transcriptionally induced in early stationary phase. Thus, their mRNA levels are high upon the entry of the cells into the stationary phase but gradually decrease, by a TOP1-dependent mechanism, later in the stationary phase. A minor population of mRNAs is not subjected to the TOP1-dependent regulation, as their levels do not change in stationary phase. The possible role of topoisomerase I in the general transcriptional repression is discussed.
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PMID:A general topoisomerase I-dependent transcriptional repression in the stationary phase in yeast. 166 Aug 29

We have combined immunogold labeling with the Miller spreading technique in order to localize proteins at the electron microscope (EM) level in whole mount nuclei from mouse and human fibroblasts. Anti-histone H1 antibody labels nuclei uniformly, indicating that the nuclear interior is accessible to both antibodies and gold conjugates. Anti-topoisomerase I antibody labels nucleoli intensely, in agreement with previous immunofluorescent and biochemical data. Two different antibodies against the large subunit of RNA polymerase II (pol II) show preferential labeling of the nuclear periphery, as do antibodies against lamin, a known peripheral nuclear protein. Treatment of cells with alpha-amanitin results in loss of virtually all RNA polymerase II staining, supporting the specificity of labeling. Finally, when nuclei are incubated in the presence of biotin-UTP (bio-UTP) under run-off transcription conditions, incorporation is preferentially located at the nuclear periphery. These results support the conclusions that transcriptionally active pol II molecules are non-uniformly distributed in fibroblast nuclei, and that their differential distribution mirrors that of total pol II.
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PMID:Preferential distribution of active RNA polymerase II molecules in the nuclear periphery. 166 44

Utilizing nonionic detergent lysates of human lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells as substrate, IgM and/or IgG antibodies to a 110-kDa/isoelectric point 5.4 phosphoprotein (110K) was demonstrated in serum from patients with SLE or certain other systemic autoimmune disorders by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. Ig of this specificity was not demonstrable in serum from normal individuals, but, in a limited survey, was detected in serum from patients with acute hepatitis A or infectious mononucleosis. 110K shares a number of properties with nucleolin, i.e., identical Mr and isoelectric point, localization in both the nucleus and the cytosol, increased expression in rapidly dividing cells, and shown to be distinct from already defined autoantigens of similar size, i.e., topoisomerase I, PM-Scl, and RNA polymerase I. Because 110K could bind denatured DNA, as demonstrated by its specific absorption by DNA-cellulose and by its reactivity with monoclonal anti-ssDNA antibody in the presence of denatured DNA, special efforts were made to distinguish reactivity of pre-formed DNA/anti-DNA complexes in SLE serum from that due to specific anti-110K autoantibodies. Although binding to 110K could be mediated by DNA and anti-DNA in some SLE sera, the accumulated evidence supports the existence of a major new autoantibody system in SLE, other autoimmune diseases, and certain virus infections.
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PMID:Reactivity of autoantibodies and DNA/anti-DNA complexes with a novel 110-kilodalton phosphoprotein in systemic lupus erythematosus and other diseases. 168 48

The antitumor agent camptothecin stabilizes type I topoisomerase-DNA complexes. One of the primary cellular responses to camptothecin exposure is rapid cessation of RNA synthesis. Results obtained by using an in vitro transcription system supplemented with eukaryotic topoisomerase I show that this inhibition can be attributed to physical blockage of the RNA polymerase by camptothecin-stabilized topoisomerase I-DNA complexes on the DNA template. The site of premature termination is located 10 base pairs upstream of the topoisomerase I linked nucleotide residue on the coding strand, corresponding closely to the border of the protected area obtained in a micrococcus nuclease footprint of topoisomerase I. The RNA polymerase transcribes unimpeded through complexes attached to the noncoding strand. No inhibitory effect of camptothecin on RNA transcription was observed with human topoisomerase I isolated from a camptothecin-resistant cell line. Taken together, the data suggest that part of the cytotoxicity of camptothecin is mediated through adduct formation on transcribed DNA, resulting in interference with transcriptional elongation.
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PMID:Camptothecin-stabilized topoisomerase I-DNA adducts cause premature termination of transcription. 169 37

During transcription, positive DNA supercoils generated ahead of RNA polymerase could theoretically uncoil the negative DNA supercoils associated with nucleosomes and thereby decondense the chromatin fiber in preparation for RNA polymerase passage. Here we examine the effect of positive DNA supercoiling on the structure of yeast 2-microns minichromosomes. We utilized a conditional topoisomerase mutant expressing Escherichia coli topoisomerase I to convert the DNA supercoiling state from negative to positive in vivo. Minichromosomes containing positively supercoiled DNA exhibited a striking increase in DNase I sensitivity. They also displayed additional micrococcal nuclease cleavage sites but yielded nearly typical nucleosomal ladders after extensive digestion. Upon in vitro relaxation with eukaryotic topoisomerase I, the minichromosomes remained DNase I sensitive but were converted to negative DNA supercoiling with a slightly increased linking number compared to typical minichromosomes, thus indicating the presence of bound histones. Therefore, positive DNA supercoiling provides a mechanism for generating, but is not required for maintaining, a conformation in chromatin characteristic of highly transcribed genes.
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PMID:Positive DNA supercoiling generates a chromatin conformation characteristic of highly active genes. 194 86

In the usual metabolic control theory, the concentrations of enzymes are considered to be parameters rather than variables, i.e., they remain constant as the system relaxes to a new steady state. They can only be reset by interventions. This type of control analysis is useful for understanding principles of metabolic control, and for understanding metabolic changes that are too quick or in too limited a metabolic system to involve changes in gene expression. In actual living systems, metabolic changes are often accompanied by changes in gene expression. In this contribution we shall illustrate how metabolic control analysis is enriched when gene expression is variable. To discuss the new principles emerging in control analysis with variable gene expression, we shall first discuss theoretical model systems. In the first, the number of genes is fixed, but the concentrations of mRNA and enzymes are determined by the activities of RNA polymerase, RNAases, ribosomes and proteases. In a second, there is feedback repression by a metabolite at the level of translation. New coefficients quantifying the strength of regulatory loops will be defined. Also coefficients that indicate to what extent these regulatory strengths themselves are controlled by system parameters, are defined and provided with a summation theorem. The experimental model system we employ, addresses the phenomenon that in prokaryotes, transcription rates are influenced by the extent of supercoiling of the DNA. This includes the transcription of the genes encoding the two enzymes (DNA gyrase and topoisomerase I) involved in the regulation of DNA supercoiling. In vitro the activity of DNA gyrase is influenced by the hydrolytic free energy of ATP. We shall present experimental evidence that the cellular free-energy state influences DNA supercoiling. We shall also discuss experiments inspecting the effect of active transcription on active DNA supercoiling. Also this system will be analyzed in terms of the control analysis with variable gene expression; here the four hierarchical levels (DNA, RNA, enzymes, metabolites) interact, adding complexity to the control analysis.
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PMID:Control of DNA structure and gene expression. 196 56

The functional association between DNA topoisomerase I and gene activity has been analyzed using the tightly regulated c-fos proto-oncogene, which undergoes rapid transitions between active and inactive states of transcription. We show that the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin can be used to measure topoisomerase I activity throughout the transcription cycle of the c-fos gene. Upon induction of c-fos transcription in the presence of camptothecin, topoisomerase I cleavages spread through the gene in the 5' to 3' direction and concomitantly transcriptional elongation is retarded. Parallel kinetic measurements of RNA polymerase II activity and topoisomerase I activity demonstrate a quantitative and temporal link between the two enzymes. Our results argue that topoisomerase I quantitatively relieves the torsional consequences of transcriptional elongation in intact cells.
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PMID:Rapid induction of c-fos transcription reveals quantitative linkage of RNA polymerase II and DNA topoisomerase I enzyme activities. 215 54

During transcription, positive and negative superhelical stresses are generated on a DNA template which could potentially affect nucleosomal structure. When transcription was performed on a closed circular plasmid containing nucleosomes, using T7 RNA polymerase and topoisomerase I, nucleosomal structure was lost from the DNA. Nucleosome content was assayed by analyzing both the topological state of the DNA and the nuclease-resistant fragments produced by micrococcal nuclease and DNase I treatment. This nucleosome dissolution required positive superhelical stress as evidenced by the requirement that the extended RNA transcript remain associated with the polymerase during the transcription process. Rates of transcription were found to be independent of whether the nucleosomes dissolved. When transcription was performed in the absence of topoisomerase I, nucleosome reformation occurred very rapidly. This observation suggests that negative superhelical stress, induced in the wake of polymerase action, facilitates nucleosome reformation.
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PMID:In vitro evidence that transcription-induced stress causes nucleosome dissolution and regeneration. 217 Mar 57


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