Structural highlights
Function
MED2_YEAST Component of the Mediator complex, a coactivator involved in the regulated transcription of nearly all RNA polymerase II-dependent genes. Mediator functions as a bridge to convey information from gene-specific regulatory proteins to the basal RNA polymerase II transcription machinery. The Mediator complex, having a compact conformation in its free form, is recruited to promoters by direct interactions with regulatory proteins and serves for the assembly of a functional preinitiation complex with RNA polymerase II and the general transcription factors. The Mediator complex unfolds to an extended conformation and partially surrounds RNA polymerase II, specifically interacting with the unphosphorylated form of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. The Mediator complex dissociates from the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme and stays at the promoter when transcriptional elongation begins.[1] [2] [3]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Most eukaryotic promoter regions are divergently transcribed. As the RNA polymerase II pre-initiation complex (PIC) is intrinsically asymmetric and responsible for transcription in a single direction, it is unknown how divergent transcription arises. Here, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mediator complexed with a PIC (Med-PIC) was assembled on a divergent promoter and analyzed by cryoelectron microscopy. The structure reveals two distinct Med-PICs forming a dimer through the Mediator tail module, induced by a homodimeric activator protein localized near the dimerization interface. The tail dimer is associated with approximately 80-bp upstream DNA, such that two flanking core promoter regions are positioned and oriented in a suitable form for PIC assembly in opposite directions. Also, cryoelectron tomography visualized the progress of the PIC assembly on the two core promoter regions, providing direct evidence for the role of the Med-PIC dimer in divergent transcription.
Structural basis of a transcription pre-initiation complex on a divergent promoter.,Gorbea Colon JJ, Palao L 3rd, Chen SF, Kim HJ, Snyder L, Chang YW, Tsai KL, Murakami K Mol Cell. 2023 Jan 26:S1097-2765(23)00031-X. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.01.011. PMID:36731470[4]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Nair D, Kim Y, Myers LC. Mediator and TFIIH govern carboxyl-terminal domain-dependent transcription in yeast extracts. J Biol Chem. 2005 Oct 7;280(40):33739-48. Epub 2005 Aug 2. PMID:16076843 doi:http://dx.doi.org/M506067200
- ↑ van de Peppel J, Kettelarij N, van Bakel H, Kockelkorn TT, van Leenen D, Holstege FC. Mediator expression profiling epistasis reveals a signal transduction pathway with antagonistic submodules and highly specific downstream targets. Mol Cell. 2005 Aug 19;19(4):511-22. PMID:16109375 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2005.06.033
- ↑ Takagi Y, Kornberg RD. Mediator as a general transcription factor. J Biol Chem. 2006 Jan 6;281(1):80-9. Epub 2005 Nov 1. PMID:16263706 doi:http://dx.doi.org/M508253200
- ↑ Gorbea Colón JJ, Palao L 3rd, Chen SF, Kim HJ, Snyder L, Chang YW, Tsai KL, Murakami K. Structural basis of a transcription pre-initiation complex on a divergent promoter. Mol Cell. 2023 Feb 16;83(4):574-588.e11. PMID:36731470 doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2023.01.011
