Pol II (RNA polymerase II) transcribes the genes encoding proteins and non-coding snRNAs (small nuclear RNAs). The largest subunit of Pol II contains a distinctive CTD (C-terminal domain) comprising a repetitive heptad amino acid sequence, Tyr1-Ser2-Pro3-Thr4-Ser5-Pro6-Ser7. This domain is now known to play a major role in the processes of transcription and co-transcriptional RNA processing in expression of both snRNA and protein-coding genes. The heptapeptide repeat unit can be extensively modified in vivo and covalent modifications of the CTD during the transcription cycle result in the ordered recruitment of RNA-processing factors. The most studied modifications are the phosphorylation of the serine residues in position 2 and 5 (Ser2 and Ser5), which play an important role in the co-transcriptional processing of both mRNA and snRNA. An additional, recently identified CTD modification, phosphorylation of the serine residue in position 7 (Ser7) of the heptapeptide, is however specifically required for expression of snRNA genes. These findings provide interesting insights into the control of gene-specific Pol II function.
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Conference Article|
May 21 2008
Role of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II in expression of small nuclear RNA genes
Sylvain Egloff;
1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email sylvain.egloff@path.ox.ac.uk).
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Shona Murphy
Shona Murphy
1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, U.K.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
January 17 2008
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Biochemical Society
2008
Biochem Soc Trans (2008) 36 (3): 537–539.
Article history
Received:
January 17 2008
Citation
Sylvain Egloff, Shona Murphy; Role of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II in expression of small nuclear RNA genes. Biochem Soc Trans 1 June 2008; 36 (3): 537–539. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0360537
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