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)

TAK/P-TEFb is an elongation factor for RNA polymerase II-directed transcription that is thought to function by phosphorylating the C-terminal domain of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. TAK/P-TEFb is composed of Cdk9 and cyclin T and serves as the cellular cofactor for the human immunodeficiency virus transactivator Tat protein. In this study, we examined the subcellular distribution of Cdk9 and cyclin T1 using high resolution immunofluorescence microscopy and found that Cdk9 and cyclin T1 localized throughout the non-nucleolar nucleoplasm, with increased signal present at numerous foci. Both Cdk9 and cyclin T1 showed only limited colocalization with different phosphorylated forms of RNA polymerase II. However, significant colocalization with antibodies to several splicing factors that identify nuclear 'speckles' was observed for Cdk9 and especially for cyclin T1. The pattern of Cdk9 and cyclin T1 distribution was altered in cells treated with transcription inhibitors. Transient expression of cyclin T1 deletion mutants indicated that a region in the central portion of cyclin T1 is important for accumulation at speckles. Furthermore, cyclin T1 proteins that accumulated at speckles were capable of recruiting Cdk9 and the HIV Tat protein to this compartment in overexpression experiments. These results suggest that cyclin T1 functions to recruit its binding partners to nuclear speckles and raises the possibility that nuclear speckles are a site of TAK/P-TEFb function.
...
PMID:The Cdk9 and cyclin T subunits of TAK/P-TEFb localize to splicing factor-rich nuclear speckle regions. 1128 25

The elongation phase of eukaryotic transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is an important target for regulation of gene expression. An interplay of positive and negative elongation factors determines the elongation activity of RNAPII in different promoters. The phosphorylation status of the carboxyl-terminal-domain (CTD) of the larger subunit of RNAPII appears to be the regulatory focus of different factors regulating mRNA processivity. The emerging model of the transcription cycle proposes that the phosphorylation state of the CTD is dynamic during elongation with different forms predominating at different stages of transcription. Shortly after initiation RNA polymerase II comes under the control of negative elongation factors and enters abortive elongation. Escape from the action of these negative controls requires the action of at least one positive elongation factor identified in the P-TEFb complex composed of the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase CDK9 and its regulatory subunit cyclin T. Finally, the requirement of CTD phosphatase activity, identified in the FCP1 protein, has been invoked as necessary to recycle the hypophosphorylated form of the RNA polymerase II competent to reinitiate the transcription cycle.
...
PMID:Control of RNA polymerase II activity by dedicated CTD kinases and phosphatases. 1157 67

Different positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) complexes isolated from mammalian cells contain a common catalytic subunit (Cdk9) and the unique regulatory cyclins CycT1, CycT2a, CycT2b, or CycK. The role of CycK as a transcriptional cyclin was demonstrated in this study. First, CycK activated transcription when tethered heterologously to RNA, which required the kinase activity of Cdk9. Although this P-TEFb could phosphorylate the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in vitro, in contrast to CycT1 and CycT2, CycK did not activate transcription when tethered to DNA. Interestingly, when the C termini of CycT1 and CycT2 or only the histidine-rich stretch from positions 481 to 551 in CycT1 were added to CycK, the extended chimeras activated transcription equivalently via DNA. Moreover, these transcriptional effects required the CTD of RNAPII in cells. Thus, CycK functions as P-TEFb only via RNA, which suggests the presence of cellular RNA-bound activators that require CycK for their transcriptional activity.
...
PMID:P-TEFb containing cyclin K and Cdk9 can activate transcription via RNA. 1188 99

Hypertrophic growth is a risk factor for mortality in heart diseases. Mechanisms are lacking for this global increase in RNA and protein per cell, which underlies hypertrophy. Hypertrophic signals cause phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain, required for transcript elongation. RNA polymerase II kinases include cyclin-dependent kinases-7 (Cdk7) and Cdk9, components of two basal transcription factors. We report activation of Cdk7 and -9 in hypertrophy triggered by signaling proteins (Galphaq, calcineurin) or chronic mechanical stress. Only Cdk9 was activated by acute load or, in culture, by endothelin. A preferential role for Cdk9 was shown in RNA polymerase II phosphorylation and growth induced by endothelin, using pharmacological and dominant-negative inhibitors. All four hypertrophic signals dissociated 7SK small nuclear RNA, an endogenous inhibitor, from cyclin T-Cdk9. Cdk9 was limiting for cardiac growth, shown by suppressing its inhibitor (7SK) in culture and preventing downregulation of its activator (cyclin T1) in mouse myocardium.Note: In the AOP version of this article, the numbering of the author affiliations was incorrect. This has now been fixed, and the affiliations appear correctly online and in print.
...
PMID:Activation and function of cyclin T-Cdk9 (positive transcription elongation factor-b) in cardiac muscle-cell hypertrophy. 1236 4

RNA polymerase II (pol II) is subject to an early elongation delay induced by negative factors Spt5/Spt4 and NELF, which is overcome by the positive factor P-TEFb (Cdk9/cyclin T), a protein kinase that phosphorylates the pol II C-terminal domain (CTD) and the transcription elongation factor Spt5. Although the rationale for this arrest and restart is unclear, recent studies suggest a connection to mRNA capping, which is coupled to transcription elongation via physical and functional interactions between the cap-forming enzymes, the CTD-PO(4), and Spt5. Here we identify a novel interaction between fission yeast RNA triphosphatase Pct1, the enzyme that initiates cap formation, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe Cdk9. The C-terminal segment of SpCdk9 comprises a Pct1-binding domain distinct from the N-terminal Cdk domain. We show that the Cdk domain interacts with S. pombe Pch1, a homolog of cyclin T, and that the purified recombinant SpCdk9/Pch1 heterodimer can phosphorylate both the pol II CTD and the C-terminal domain of S. pombe Spt5. We provide genetic evidence that SpCdk9 and Pch1 are functional orthologs of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae CTD kinase Bur1/Bur2, a putative yeast P-TEFb. Mutations of the kinase active site and the regulatory T-loop of SpCdk9 abolish its activity in vivo. Deleting the C-terminal domain of SpCdk9 causes a severe growth defect. We suggest a model whereby Spt5-induced arrest of early elongation ensures a temporal window for recruitment of the capping enzymes, which in turn attract Cdk9 to alleviate the arrest. This elongation checkpoint may avoid wasteful rounds of transcription of uncapped pre-mRNAs.
...
PMID:Interactions between fission yeast Cdk9, its cyclin partner Pch1, and mRNA capping enzyme Pct1 suggest an elongation checkpoint for mRNA quality control. 1247 73

Cyclins are members of family of proteins involved in the cell cycle regulation. They are regulatory subunits of complexes with proteins called cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). There are three forms of cyclin T: cyclin T1, cyclin T2a, and T2b. All cyclin T contain an N-terminal "cyclin homology box," the most conserved region among different members of the cyclin family that serves to bind CDK9. In addition to the N-terminal cyclin domain, cyclin T contains a putative coiled-coil motif, a His-rich motif, and a C-terminal PEST sequence. The CDK9/cyclin T complex is able to activate gene expression in a catalytic-dependent manner, phosphorylating the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. In addition, only cyclin T1 supports interactions between Tat and TAR. The interaction of Tat with cyclin T1 alters the conformation of Tat to enhance the affinity and specificity of the Tat:TAR interaction. On the other hand, CDK9/cyclin T2 complexes are involved in the regulation of terminal differentiation in muscle cells.
...
PMID:Cyclin T: three forms for different roles in physiological and pathological functions. 1249 48

A subset of cyclin-dependent protein kinases--Cdk7, Cdk8, and Cdk9--participates directly, in complex ways, with the fundamental machinery for gene transcription, as elements of general transcription factors whose substrate is the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. Here, we review recent data implicating the CTD kinase Cdk9 as a critical determinant of cardiac hypertrophy, in vitro and in vivo. Diverse trophic signals that increase cardiac mass all activated Cdk9 (work load, the small G-protein Gaq, and the calcium-dependent phosphatase calcineurin in mouse myocardium; endothelin-1, a hypertrophic agonist, in cultured cardiomyocytes). Little or no change occurred in levels of the kinase or its activator, cyclin T. Instead, in all four hypertrophic models, Cdk9 activation involves the dissociation of 7SK small nuclear RNA (snRNA), an endogenous inhibitor. In culture, dominant-negative Cdk9 blocked ET-1-induced hypertrophy, whereas an anti-sense "knockdown" of 7SK snRNA provoked spontaneous cell growth. In trans-genie mice, concordant with these results, activation of Cdk9 activity via cardiac-specific overexpression of cyclin Tl suffices to provoke hypertrophy. Together, these findings implicate Cdk9 activity as a pivotal regulator of pathophysiological heart growth. Because hypertrophy, in turn, is a cardinal risk factor for developing cardiac pump failure, these results support the logic of examining Cdk9 as a potential drug target in heart disease.
...
PMID:Cyclins that don't cycle--cyclin T/cyclin-dependent kinase-9 determines cardiac muscle cell size. 1269 56

Schizosaccharomyces pombe Cdk9/Pch1 protein kinase is a functional ortholog of the essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae Bur1/Bur2 kinase and a putative ortholog of metazoan P-TEFb (Cdk9/cyclin T). SpCdk9/Pch1 phosphorylates of the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of the S. pombe transcription elongation factor Spt5, which consists of 18 tandem repeats of a nonapeptide of consensus sequence 1TPAWNSGSK9. We document the divalent cation dependence and specificity of SpCdk9/Pch1, its NTP dependence and specificity, the dependence of Spt5-CTD phosphorylation on the number of tandem nonamer repeats, and the specificity for phosphorylation of the Spt5-CTD on threonine at position 1 within the nonamer element. SpCdk9/Pch1 also phosphorylates the CTD heptaptide repeat array of the largest subunit of S. pombe RNA polymerase II (consensus sequence YSPTSPS) and does so exclusively on serine. SpCdk9/Pch1 catalyzes autophosphorylation of the kinase and cyclin subunits of the kinase complex. The distribution of phosphorylation sites on SpCdk9 (86% Ser(P), 11% Thr(P), 3% Tyr(P)) is distinct from that on Pch1 (2% Ser(P), 98% Thr(P)). We conducted a structure-guided mutational analysis of SpCdk9, whereby a total of 29 new mutations of 12 conserved residues were tested for in vivo function by complementation of a yeast bur1Delta mutant. We identified many lethal and conditional mutations of side chains implicated in binding ATP and the divalent cation cofactor, phosphoacceptor substrate recognition, and T-loop dynamics. We surmise that the lethality of the of T212A mutation in the T-loop reflects an essential phosphorylation event, insofar as the conservative T212S change rescued wild-type growth; the phosphomimetic T212E change rescued growth at 30 degrees C; and the effects of mutating the T-loop threonine were phenocopied by mutations in the three conserved arginines predicted to chelate the phosphate on the T-loop threonine.
...
PMID:Characterization of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Cdk9/Pch1 protein kinase: Spt5 phosphorylation, autophosphorylation, and mutational analysis. 1290 90

The positive transcriptional elongation factor b (P-TEFb), consisting of CDK9 and cyclin T, stimulates transcription by phosphorylating RNA polymerase II. It becomes inactivated when associated with the abundant 7SK snRNA. Here, we show that the 7SK binding alone was not sufficient to inhibit P-TEFb. P-TEFb was inhibited by the HEXIM1 protein in a process that specifically required 7SK for mediating the HEXIM1:P-TEFb interaction. This allowed HEXIM1 to inhibit transcription both in vivo and in vitro. P-TEFb dissociated from HEXIM1 and 7SK in cells undergoing stress response, increasing the level of active P-TEFb for stress-induced transcription. P-TEFb was the predominant HEXIM1-associated protein factor, and thus likely to be the principal target of inhibition coordinated by HEXIM1 and 7SK. Since HEXIM1 expression is induced in cells treated with hexamethylene bisacetamide, a potent inducer of cell differentiation, targeting the general transcription factor P-TEFb by HEXIM1/7SK may contribute to the global control of cell growth and differentiation.
...
PMID:Inhibition of P-TEFb (CDK9/Cyclin T) kinase and RNA polymerase II transcription by the coordinated actions of HEXIM1 and 7SK snRNA. 1458 Mar 47

The positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb), comprising CDK9 and cyclin T, stimulates transcription of cellular and viral genes by phosphorylating RNA polymerase II. A major portion of nuclear P-TEFb is sequestered and inactivated by the coordinated actions of the 7SK snRNA and the HEXIM1 protein, whose induced dissociation from P-TEFb is crucial for stress-induced transcription and pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. The 7SK.P-TEFb interaction, which can occur independently of HEXIM1 and does not by itself inhibit P-TEFb, recruits HEXIM1 for P-TEFb inactivation. To study the control of this interaction, we established an in vitro system that reconstituted the specific interaction of P-TEFb with 7SK but not other snRNAs. Using this system, together with an in vivo binding assay, we show that the phosphorylation of CDK9, on possibly the conserved Thr-186 in the T-loop, was crucial for the 7SK.P-TEFb interaction. This phosphorylation was not caused by CDK9 autophosphorylation or the general CDK-activating kinase CAK, but rather by a novel HeLa nuclear kinase. Furthermore, the stress-induced disruption of the 7SK.P-TEFb interaction was not caused by any prohibitive changes in 7SK but by the dephosphorylation of P-TEFb, leading to the loss of the key phosphorylation important for 7SK binding. Thus, the phosphorylated P-TEFb is tagged for inhibition through association with 7SK. We discuss the implications of this mechanism in controlling P-TEFb activity during normal and stress-induced transcription.
...
PMID:Phosphorylated positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) is tagged for inhibition through association with 7SK snRNA. 1462 2


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next >>