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Molecular Mechanisms of Transcription Initiation-Structure, Function, and Evolution of TFE/TFIIE-Like Factors and Open Complex Formation

Blombach, F; Smollett, KL; Grohmann, D; Werner, F; (2016) Molecular Mechanisms of Transcription Initiation-Structure, Function, and Evolution of TFE/TFIIE-Like Factors and Open Complex Formation. Journal of Molecular Biology , 428 (12) pp. 2592-2606. 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.04.016. Green open access

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Abstract

Transcription initiation requires that the promoter DNA is melted and the template strand is loaded into the active site of the RNA polymerase (RNAP), forming the open complex (OC). The archaeal initiation factor TFE and its eukaryotic counterpart TFIIE facilitate this process. Recent structural and biophysical studies have revealed the position of TFE/TFIIE within the pre-initiation complex (PIC) and illuminated its role in OC formation. TFE operates via allosteric and direct mechanisms. Firstly, it interacts with the RNAP and induces the opening of the flexible RNAP clamp domain, concomitant with DNA melting and template loading. Secondly, TFE binds physically to single-stranded DNA in the transcription bubble of the OC and increases its stability. The identification of the β-subunit of archaeal TFE enabled us to reconstruct the evolutionary history of TFE/TFIIE-like factors, which is characterised by winged helix (WH) domain expansion in eukaryotes and loss of metal centres including iron-sulfur clusters and Zinc ribbons. OC formation is an important target for the regulation of transcription in all domains of life. We propose that TFE and the bacterial general transcription factor CarD, although structurally and evolutionary unrelated, show interesting parallels in their mechanism to enhance OC formation. We argue that OC formation is used as a way to regulate transcription in all domains of life, and these regulatory mechanisms coevolved with the basal transcription machinery.

Type: Article
Title: Molecular Mechanisms of Transcription Initiation-Structure, Function, and Evolution of TFE/TFIIE-Like Factors and Open Complex Formation
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.04.016
Publisher version: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2016.04.016
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an Open Access article made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Non-derivative 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This license allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work for personal and non-commercial use providing author and publisher attribution is clearly stated. Further details about CC BY licenses are available at http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0. Access may be initially restricted by the publisher.
Keywords: RNA polymerase, TFIIE/TFE, archaea, evolution, transcription
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Structural and Molecular Biology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1489842
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