6tps

Publication Abstract from PubMed

Transcription of the ribosomal RNA precursor by RNA polymerase (Pol) I is a prerequisite for the biosynthesis of ribosomes in eukaryotes. Compared to Pols II and III, the mechanisms underlying promoter recognition, initiation complex formation and DNA melting by Pol I substantially diverge. Here, we report the high-resolution cryo-EM reconstruction of a Pol I early initiation intermediate assembled on a double-stranded promoter scaffold that prevents the establishment of downstream DNA contacts. Our analyses demonstrate how efficient promoter-backbone interaction is achieved by combined re-arrangements of flexible regions in the 'core factor' subunits Rrn7 and Rrn11. Furthermore, structure-function analysis illustrates how destabilization of the melted DNA region correlates with contraction of the polymerase cleft upon transcription activation, thereby combining promoter recruitment with DNA-melting. This suggests that molecular mechanisms and structural features of Pol I initiation have co-evolved to support the efficient melting, initial transcription and promoter clearance required for high-level rRNA synthesis.

Structural basis of RNA polymerase I pre-initiation complex formation and promoter melting.,Pilsl M, Engel C Nat Commun. 2020 Mar 5;11(1):1206. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-15052-y. PMID:32139698^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.