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1: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Oct 18;102(42):15036-41. Epub 2005 Oct 7.Click here to read Click here to read Links

A negative elongation factor for human RNA polymerase II inhibits the anti-arrest transcript-cleavage factor TFIIS.

Palangat M, Renner DB, Price DH, Landick R.

Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Formation of productive transcription complexes after promoter escape by RNA polymerase II is a major event in eukaryotic gene regulation. Both negative and positive factors control this step. The principal negative elongation factor (NELF) contains four polypeptides and requires for activity the two-polypeptide 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribobenzimidazole-sensitivity inducing factor (DSIF). DSIF/NELF inhibits early transcript elongation until it is counteracted by the positive elongation factor P-TEFb. We report a previously undescribed activity of DSIF/NELF, namely inhibition of the transcript cleavage factor TFIIS. These two activities of DSIF/NELF appear to be mechanistically distinct. Inhibition of nucleotide addition requires > or = 18 nt of nascent RNA, whereas inhibition of TFIIS occurs at all transcript lengths. Because TFIIS promotes escape from promoter-proximal pauses by stimulating cleavage of back-tracked nascent RNA, TFIIS inhibition may help DSIF/NELF negatively regulate productive transcription.

PMID: 16214896 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1257689