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)

RPB4 encodes the fourth-largest RNA polymerase II subunit in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The RPB4 gene was cloned and sequenced, and its identity was confirmed by amino acid sequence analysis of tryptic peptides from the purified subunit. The RPB4 DNA sequence predicted a protein of 221 amino acids with a molecular mass of 25,414 daltons. The central 100 amino acids of the RPB4 protein were found to be similar to a segment of the major sigma subunit in Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Deletion of RPB4 produced cells that were heat and cold sensitive but could grow, albeit slowly, at intermediate temperatures. RNA polymerase II lacking the RPB4 subunit exhibited markedly reduced activity in crude extracts in vitro. The RPB4 subunit, although not essential for mRNA synthesis or enzyme assembly, was essential for normal levels of RNA polymerase II activity and indispensable for cell viability over a wide temperature range.
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PMID:RNA polymerase II subunit RPB4 is essential for high- and low-temperature yeast cell growth. 267 72

Using a screen to identify human genes that promote pseudohyphal conversion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we obtained a cDNA encoding hsRPB7, a human homologue of the seventh largest subunit of yeast RNA polymerase II (RPB7). Overexpression of yeast RPB7 in a comparable strain background caused more pronounced cell elongation than overexpression of hsRPB7. hsRPB7 sequence and function are strongly conserved with its yeast counterpart because its expression can rescue deletion of the essential RPB7 gene at moderate temperatures. Further, immuno-precipitation of RNA polymerase II from yeast cells containing hsRPB7 revealed that the hsRPB7 assembles the complete set of 11 other yeast subunits. However, at temperature extremes and during maintenance at stationary phase, hsRPB7-containing yeast cells lose viability rapidly, stress-sensitive phenotypes reminiscent of those associated with deletion of the RPB4 subunit with which RPB7 normally complexes. Two-hybrid analysis revealed that although hsRPB7 and RPB4 interact, the association is of lower affinity than the RPB4-RPB7 interaction, providing a probable mechanism for the failure of hsRPB7 to fully function in yeast cells at high and low temperatures. Finally, surprisingly, hsRPB7 RNA in human cells is expressed in a tissue-specific pattern that differs from that of the RNA polymerase II largest subunit, implying a potential regulatory role for hsRPB7. Taken together, these results suggest that some RPB7 functions may be analogous to those possessed by the stress-specific prokaryotic sigma factor rpoS.
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PMID:Human RNA polymerase II subunit hsRPB7 functions in yeast and influences stress survival and cell morphology. 757 93

We have recently proposed statistical techniques to identify unusual protein sequence features. Extensive mapping of these features to particular groups of proteins may afford new ways of protein classification. Here we present a case study of such analysis by discussing special features of the amino acid sequences of yeast RNA polymerase II, the first eukaryotic RNA polymerase for which all subunits have been sequenced. Specific new suggestions derived from this analysis include: (i) based on unusual charge configurations in some of the sequences, electrostatic forces may play a significant role in subunit interactions; (ii) RPB4, on account of similar charge distribution, may well be grouped together with RNA polymerase II transcription initiation factors.
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PMID:Applications of statistical criteria in protein sequence analysis: case study of yeast RNA polymerase II subunits. 795 95

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, grown on a fermentable carbon source, display two growth phases before they enter the stationary phase: a rapid phase (log phase) followed by a slow phase. It was previously shown that a subunit of the yeast RNA polymerase II, RPB4, positively affects the activity of the enzyme in post-log phases but has little or no effect on its activity in log phase. Here, I show that RPB4 level limits the growth rate during the slow growth phase. Thus, a small increase in RPB4 protein level, in cells carrying multiple copies of the RPB4 gene, results in an almost twofold increase in the growth rate during this phase. Furthermore, RPB4 expression is differentially regulated in the two growth phases. During the slow growth phase, a posttranscriptional process which controls the RPB4 level and thus can control growth rate becomes active. These results reveal a complex growth control mechanism, in which the transcriptional apparatus is probably a limiting element, operating in the last stages of the yeast growth.
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PMID:A growth rate-limiting process in the last growth phase of the yeast life cycle involves RPB4, a subunit of RNA polymerase II. 840 10

Cells respond to stress by altering gene expression, and these adjustments facilitate stress tolerance. Although transcriptional changes are integral to most stress responses, little is known about the mechanisms that permit the transcription apparatus itself to tolerate stress. Here we report that a major role of the RNA polymerase II subunit RPB4 is to permit appropriate transcriptional responses during stress. Yeast cells lacking RPB4 have essentially wild-type growth rates at moderate temperatures (18 to 22 degrees C), but their growth rates are substantially reduced at temperatures outside this range. When subjected to a heat shock, cells lacking RPB4 rapidly lose the ability to transcribe genes and experience a dramatic loss in viability. When cells lacking RPB4 are subjected to the nutrient stress that accompanies entry into stationary phase, they also exhibit a substantial decline in mRNA synthesis and in viability relative to wild-type cells. Interestingly, the portion of RNA polymerase II molecules that contain RPB4 is small in log phase but increases substantially as cells enter stationary phase. We propose that the association of RPB4 with the other RNA polymerase II subunits increases the tolerance of the enzyme to stress.
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PMID:A portion of RNA polymerase II molecules has a component essential for stress responses and stress survival. 841 88

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA polymerase II subunit gene RPB7 was isolated and sequenced. RPB7 is a single copy gene whose sequence predicts a 19,000 Dalton protein of 171 amino acids. RPB7 is known to dissociate from RNA polymerase II as an RPB4/RPB7 subcomplex in vitro. RPB7 also appears to interact with RNA polymerase II in a manner dependent upon RPB4, since RNA polymerase II purified from cells lacking RPB4 also lacks RPB7. Previous results have demonstrated that deletion of the RPB4 results in slow growth and cold- and temperature-sensitivity. In contrast, deletion of the RPB7 gene revealed that it is essential for cell growth and viability. Loss of both the RPB4 and the RPB7 genes causes lethality. These results suggest that RPB7 contributes to the function of RNA polymerase II in the absence of RPB4 either in a manner independent of its association with the enzyme or by directly binding to the enzyme in a manner independent of its association with RPB4.
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PMID:RPB7, one of two dissociable subunits of yeast RNA polymerase II, is essential for cell viability. 848 30

An Arabidopsis cDNA (AtRPB15.9) that encoded a protein related to the RPB4 subunit in yeast RNA polymerase II was cloned. The predicted molecular mass of 15.9 kDa for the AtRPB15.9 protein was significantly smaller than 25 kDa for yeast RBP4. In SDS-PAGE, AtRPB15.9 migrated as the seventh or eighth largest subunit (i.e. apparent molecular mass of 14-15 kDa) in Arabidopsis RNA polymerase II, whereas RPB4 migrates as the fourth largest subunit (i.e. apparent molecular mass of 32 kDa) in yeast RNA polymerase II. Unlike yeast RPB4 and RPB7, which dissociate from RNA polymerase II under mildly denaturing conditions, plant subunits related to RPB4 and RPB7 are more stably associated with the enzyme. Recombinant AtRPB15.9 formed stable complexes with AtRPB19.5 (i.e. a subunit related to yeast RPB7) in vitro as did recombinant yeast RPB4 and RPB7 subunits. Stable heterodimers were also formed between AtRPB15. 9 and yeast RPB7 and between yeast RPB4 and AtRPB19.5.
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PMID:Two small subunits in Arabidopsis RNA polymerase II are related to yeast RPB4 and RPB7 and interact with one another. 948 92

Under conditions of environmental stress, prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae selectively utilize particular subunits of RNA polymerase II (pol II) to alter transcription to patterns favoring survival. In S. cerevisiae, a complex of two such subunits, RPB4 and RPB7, preferentially associates with pol II during stationary phase; of these two subunits, RPB4 is specifically required for survival under nonoptimal growth conditions. Previously, we have shown that RPB7 possesses an evolutionarily conserved human homolog, hsRPB7, which was capable of partially interacting with RPB4 and the yeast transcriptional apparatus. Using this as a probe in a two-hybrid screen, we have now established that hsRPB4 is also conserved in higher eukaryotes. In contrast to hsRPB7, hsRPB4 has diverged so that it no longer interacts with yeast RPB7, although it partially complements rpb4- phenotypes in yeast. However, hsRPB4 associates strongly and specifically with hsRPB7 when expressed in yeast or in mammalian cells and copurifies with intact pol II. hsRPB4 expression in humans parallels that of hsRPB7, supporting the idea that the two proteins may possess associated functions. Structure-function studies of hsRPB4-hsRPB7 are used to establish the interaction interface between the two proteins. This identification completes the set of human homologs for RNA pol II subunits defined in yeast and should provide the basis for subsequent structural and functional characterization of the pol II holoenzyme.
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PMID:Analysis of the interaction of the novel RNA polymerase II (pol II) subunit hsRPB4 with its partner hsRPB7 and with pol II. 952 65

Rpb4 and Rpb7 are two yeast RNA polymerase II (Pol II) subunits whose mechanistic roles have recently started to be deciphered. Although previous data suggest that Rpb7 can stably interact with Pol II only as a heterodimer with Rpb4, RPB7 is essential for viability, whereas RPB4 is essential only during some stress conditions. To resolve this discrepancy and to gain a better understanding of the mode of action of Rpb4, we took advantage of the inability of cells lacking RPB4 (rpb4Delta, containing Pol IIDelta4) to grow above 30 degrees C and screened for genes whose overexpression could suppress this defect. We thus discovered that overexpression of RPB7 could suppress the inability of rpb4Delta cells to grow at 34 degrees C (a relatively mild temperature stress) but not at higher temperatures. Overexpression of RPB7 could also partially suppress the cold sensitivity of rpb4Delta strains and fully suppress their inability to survive a long starvation period (stationary phase). Notably, however, overexpression of RPB4 could not override the requirement for RPB7. Consistent with the growth phenotype, overexpression of RPB7 could suppress the transcriptional defect characteristic of rpb4Delta cells during the mild, but not during a more severe, heat shock. We also demonstrated, through two reciprocal coimmunoprecipitation experiments, a stable interaction of the overproduced Rpb7 with Pol IIDelta4. Nevertheless, fewer Rpb7 molecules interacted with Pol IIDelta4 than with wild-type Pol II. Thus, a major role of Rpb4 is to augment the interaction of Rpb7 with Pol II. We suggest that Pol IIDelta4 contains a small amount of Rpb7 that is sufficient to support transcription only under nonstress conditions. When RPB7 is overexpressed, more Rpb7 assembles with Pol IIDelta4, enough to permit appropriate transcription also under some stress conditions.
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PMID:Rpb7 can interact with RNA polymerase II and support transcription during some stresses independently of Rpb4. 1008 33

Rpb4p and Rpb7p are two subunits of the yeast RNA polymerase II, which form a subcomplex that can dissociate from the enzyme in vitro. Whereas RPB7 is essential, RPB4 is dispensable for cellular viability. However, the rpb4 null mutant is heat-sensitive, and it has been suggested that Rpb4p is an essential component for cellular stress response. To examine this hypothesis, we used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to analyze the protein expression pattern of the rpb4 null mutant in response to heat shock, oxidative stress, osmotic stress, and in the post-diauxic phase. We show that this mutant is not impaired in stress induced transcriptional activation: the absence of heat shock response of the mutant is due to a general defect in RNA polymerase II activity at high temperature. Under this condition, Rpb4p is necessary to maintain the polymerase activity in vivo. The heat growth defect of the rpb4 null mutant can be partially suppressed by overexpression of RPB7, suggesting that Rpb4p maintains or stabilizes Rpb7p in the RNA polymerase. We also demonstrate that rpb4 null mutant is an appropriate tool to analyze the involvement of transcriptional events in the survival and adaptation to heat shock or other stresses.
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PMID:Rpb4p is necessary for RNA polymerase II activity at high temperature. 1042 37


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