Role of TATA binding protein (TBP) in yeast ribosomal DNA transcription byRNA polymerase I: Defects in the dual functions of transcription factor UAF cannot be suppressed by TBP
I. Siddiqi et al., Role of TATA binding protein (TBP) in yeast ribosomal DNA transcription byRNA polymerase I: Defects in the dual functions of transcription factor UAF cannot be suppressed by TBP, MOL CELL B, 21(7), 2001, pp. 2292-2297
Initiation of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription by RNA polymerase I (Pol I
) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves upstream activation factor
(UAF), core factor, the TATA binding protein (TBP), and Rrn3p in addition
to Pol I. We found previously that yeast strains carrying deletions in the
UAF component RRN9 switch completely to the use of Pol II for rRNA transcri
ption, with no residual Pol I transcription, These polymerase-snitched stra
ins initially grow very slowly, but subsequent expansion in the number of r
DNA repeats on chromosome XII leads to better growth. Recently, it was repo
rted that TBP overexpression could bypass the requirement of UAF for Pol I
transcription in vivo, producing nearly wild-type levels of growth in UAF m
utant strains (P. Aprikian, B. Moorefield, and R.H. Reeder, Mel. Cell. Biol
. 20:5269-5275, 2000). Here, we demonstrate that deletions in the UAF compo
nent RRN5, RRN9, or RRN10 lead to Pol II transcription of rDNA. TBP overexp
ression does not suppress UAF mutation, and these strains continue to nse P
ol II for rRNA transcription. We do not find evidence for even low levels o
f Pol I transcription in UAF mutant strains carrying overexpressed TBP. In
diploid strains lacking both copies of the UAF component RRN9, Pol II trans
cription of rDNA is more strongly repressed than in haploid strains but TBP
overexpression still fails to activate Pol I. These results emphasize that
UAF plays an essential role in activation of Pol I transcription and silen
cing of Pol II transcription of rDNA and that TBP functions to recruit the
Pol I machinery in a manner completely dependent on UAF.