RNA polymerase II elongator holoenzyme is composed of two discrete subcomplexes.

Elongator is a histone acetyltransferase complex that associates with the elongating form of RNA polymerase II. We purified Elongator to virtual homogeneity via a rapid three-step procedure based largely on affinity chromatography. The purified factor, holo-Elongator, is a labile six-subunit factor composed of two discrete subcomplexes: one comprised of the previously identified Elp1, Elp2, and Elp3 proteins and another comprised of three novel polypeptides, termed Elp4, Elp5, and Elp6. Disruption of the yeast genes encoding the new Elongator proteins confers phenotypes indistinguishable from those previously described for the other elp mutants, and concomitant disruption of genes encoding proteins in either subcomplex does not confer new phenotypes. Taken together, our results indicate that holo-Elongator is a functional entity in vitro as well as in vivo. Metazoan homologues of Elp1 and Elp3 have previously been reported. We cloned the human homologue of yeast ELP4 and show that this gene is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues.

Novel functional interactions between nucleotide excision DNA repair proteins influencing the enzymatic activities of TFIIH, XPG, and ERCC1-XPF.

The multisubunit basal transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) has a dual involvement in nucleotide excision repair (NER) of a variety of DNA lesions, including UV-induced photoproducts, and RNA polymerase II transcription. In both processes, TFIIH is implicated with local DNA unwinding, which is attributed to its helicase subunits XPB and XPD. To further define the role of TFIIH in NER, functional interactions between TFIIH and other DNA repair proteins were analyzed. We show that the TFIIH-associated ATPase activity is stimulated by both XPA and the XPC-HR23B complex. However, while XPA promotes the ATPase activity specifically in the presence of damaged DNA, stimulation by XPC-HR23B is lesion independent. Furthermore, we reveal that TFIIH inhibits the structure-specific endonuclease activities of both XPG and ERCC1-XPF, responsible for the 3' and 5' incision in NER, respectively. The inhibition occurs in the absence of ATP and is reversed upon addition of ATP. These results point toward additional roles for TFIIH and ATP during NER distinct from a requirement for DNA unwinding in the regulation of the endonuclease activities of XPG and ERCC1-XPF.

Cloning of a human homolog of the yeast nucleotide excision repair gene MMS19 and interaction with transcription repair factor TFIIH via the XPB and XPD helicases.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) removes UV-induced photoproducts and numerous other DNA lesions in a highly conserved 'cut-and-paste' reaction that involves approximately 25 core components. In addition, several other proteins have been identified which are dispensable for NER in vitro but have an undefined role in vivo and may act at the interface of NER and other cellular processes. An intriguing example is the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mms19 protein that has an unknown dual function in NER and RNA polymerase II transcription. Here we report the cloning and characterization of a human homolog, designated hMMS19, that encodes a 1030 amino acid protein with 26% identity and 51% similarity to S.cerevisiae Mms19p and with a strikingly similar size. The expression profile and nuclear location are consistent with a repair function. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that hMMS19 directly interacts with the XPB and XPD subunits of NER-transcription factor TFIIH. These findings extend the conservation of the NER apparatus and the link between NER and basal transcription and suggest that hMMS19 exerts its function in repair and transcription by interacting with the XPB and XPD helicases.

TFIIH with inactive XPD helicase functions in transcription initiation but is defective in DNA repair.

TFIIH is a multisubunit protein complex involved in RNA polymerase II transcription and nucleotide excision repair, which removes a wide variety of DNA lesions including UV-induced photoproducts. Mutations in the DNA-dependent ATPase/helicase subunits of TFIIH, XPB and XPD, are associated with three inherited syndromes as follows: xeroderma pigmentosum with or without Cockayne syndrome and trichothiodystrophy. By using epitope-tagged XPD we purified mammalian TFIIH carrying a wild type or an active-site mutant XPD subunit. Contrary to XPB, XPD helicase activity was dispensable for in vitro transcription, catalytic formation of trinucleotide transcripts, and promoter opening. Moreover, in contrast to XPB, microinjection of mutant XPD cDNA did not interfere with in vivo transcription. These data show directly that XPD activity is not required for transcription. However, during DNA repair, neither 5' nor 3' incisions in defined positions around a DNA adduct were detected in the presence of TFIIH containing inactive XPD, although substantial damage-dependent DNA synthesis was induced by the presence of mutant XPD both in cells and cell extracts. The aberrant damage-dependent DNA synthesis caused by the mutant XPD does not lead to effective repair, consistent with the discrepancy between repair synthesis and survival in cells from a number of XP-D patients.

Involvement of a nuclear matrix association region in the regulation of the SPRR2A keratinocyte terminal differentiation marker.

The small proline-rich protein genes ( SPRRs ) code for precursors of the cornified cell envelope, and are specifically expressed during keratinocyte terminal differentiation. The single intron of SPRR2A enhanced the activity of the SPRR2A promoter in transient transfection assays. This enhancement was position dependent, and did not function in combination with a heterologous promoter, indicating that the intron does not contain a classical enhancer, and that the enhancement was not due to the splicing reaction per se. Mild DNAse-I digestion of nuclei showed the SPRR2 genes to be tightly associated with the nuclear matrix, in contrast to the other cornified envelope precursor genes mapping to the same chromosomal location (epidermal differentiation complex). In vitro binding studies indicated that both the proximal promoter and the intron of SPRR2A are required for optimal association of this gene with nuclear matrices. Neither nuclear matrix association nor the relative transcriptional enhancement by the intron changed during keratinocyte differentiation. Apparently, the association of the SPRR2A gene with the nuclear matrix results in a general, differentiation-independent enhancement of gene expression.

Affinity purification of human DNA repair/transcription factor TFIIH using epitope-tagged xeroderma pigmentosum B protein.

TFIIH is a high molecular weight complex with a remarkable dual function in nucleotide excision repair and initiation of RNA polymerase II transcription. Mutations in the largest subunits, the XPB and XPD helicases, are associated with three inherited disorders: xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne's syndrome, and trichothiodystrophy. To facilitate the purification and biochemical characterization of this intricate complex, we generated a cell line stably expressing tagged XPB, allowing the immunopurification of the XPB protein and associated factors. Addition of two tags, a N-terminal hexameric histidine stretch and a C-terminal hemagglutinin epitope, to this highly conserved protein did not interfere with its functioning in repair and transcription. The hemagglutinin epitope allowed efficient TFIIH immunopurification to homogeneity from a fractionated whole cell extract in essentially one step. We conclude that the predominant active form of TFIIH is composed of nine subunits and that there is one molecule of XPB per TFIIH complex. The affinity-purified complex exhibits all expected TFIIH activities: DNA-dependent ATPase, helicase, C-terminal domain kinase, and participation in in vitro and in vivo nucleotide excision repair and in vitro transcription. The affinity purification procedure described here is fast and simple, does not require extensive chromatographic procedures, and yields highly purified, active TFIIH.

The XPB subunit of repair/transcription factor TFIIH directly interacts with SUG1, a subunit of the 26S proteasome and putative transcription factor.

Mutations in the basal transcription initiation/DNA repair factor TFIIH are responsible for three human disorders: xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), cockayne syndrome (CS) and trichothiodystrophy (TTD). The non-repair features of CS and TTD are thought to be due to a partial inactivation of the transcription function of the complex. To search for proteins whose interaction with TFIIH subunits is disturbed by mutations in patients we used the yeast two-hybrid system and report the isolation of a novel XPB interacting protein, SUG1. The interaction was validated in vivo and in vitro in the following manner. (i) SUG1 interacts with XPB but not with the other core TFIIH subunits in the two-hybrid assay. (ii) Physical interaction is observed in a baculovirus co-expression system. (iii) In fibroblasts under non-overexpression conditions a portion of SUG1 is bound to the TFIIH holocomplex as deduced from co-purification, immunopurification and nickel-chelate affinity chromatography using functional tagged TFIIH. Furthermore, overexpression of SUG1 in normal fibroblasts induced arrest of transcription and a chromatin collapse in vivo. Interestingly, the interaction was diminished with a mutant form of XPB, thus providing a potential link with the clinical features of XP-B patients. Since SUG1 is an integral component of the 26S proteasome and may be part of the mediator, our findings disclose a SUG1-dependent link between TFIIH and the cellular machinery involved in protein modelling/degradation.