Sequence-specific antirepression of histone H1-mediated inhibition of basal RNA polymerase II transcription

Croston, G. E., Kerrigan, L. A., Lira, L. M., Marshak, D. R., Kadonaga, J. T. (February 1991) Sequence-specific antirepression of histone H1-mediated inhibition of basal RNA polymerase II transcription. Science, 251 (4994). pp. 643-9. ISSN 0036-8075 (Print)0036-8075 (Linking)

URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1899487
DOI: 10.1126/science.1899487

Abstract

To understand the principles of control and selectivity in gene expression, the biochemical mechanisms by which promoter- and enhancer-binding factors regulate transcription by RNA polymerase II were analyzed. A general observed repressor of transcription was purified and identified as histone H1. Since many aspects of H1 binding to naked DNA resemble its interaction with chromatin, purified H1 bound to naked DNA was used as a model for the repressed state of the DNA template. Three sequence-specific transcription factors, Sp1, GAL4-VP16, and GAGA factor, were shown to counteract H1-mediated repression (antirepression). In addition, Sp1 and GAL4-VP16, but not the GAGA factor, activated transcription in the absence of H1. Therefore, true activation and antirepression appear to be distinct activities of sequence-specific factors. Furthermore, transcription antirepression by GAL4-VP16 was sustained for several rounds of transcription. These findings, together with previous studies on H1, suggest that H1 participates in repression of the genome in the ground state and that sequence-specific transcription factors induce selected genes by a combination of true activation and release of basal repression that is mediated at least in part by H1.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: Amino Acid Sequence Animals Cattle Cell-Free System DNA-Binding Proteins/physiology Drosophila melanogaster/genetics *Gene Expression Regulation HeLa Cells Histones/genetics/*physiology Humans In Vitro Techniques Molecular Sequence Data Nucleosomes/physiology RNA Polymerase II/*physiology Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid Repressor Proteins/physiology Templates, Genetic Transcription Factors/*physiology *Transcription, Genetic
Subjects: bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > transcription
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > enzymes > RNA polymerase
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > histone
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 8 February 1991
Date Deposited: 10 Dec 2015 17:53
Last Modified: 10 Dec 2015 17:53
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/32143

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