The TCT motif, a key component of an RNA polymerase II transcription system for the translational machinery
- Trevor J. Parry1,
- Joshua W.M. Theisen1,
- Jer-Yuan Hsu1,
- Yuan-Liang Wang1,
- David L. Corcoran2,
- Moriah Eustice1,
- Uwe Ohler2,3,4 and
- James T. Kadonaga1,5
- 1Section of Molecular Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA;
- 2Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA;
- 3Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA;
- 4Department of Computer Science, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
Abstract
The TCT motif (polypyrimidine initiator) encompasses the transcription start site of nearly all ribosomal protein genes in Drosophila and mammals. The TCT motif is required for transcription of ribosomal protein gene promoters. The TCT element resembles the Inr (initiator), but is not recognized by TFIID and cannot function in lieu of an Inr. However, a single T-to-A substitution converts the TCT element into a functionally active Inr. Thus, the TCT motif is a novel transcriptional element that is distinct from the Inr. These findings reveal a specialized TCT-based transcription system that is directed toward the synthesis of ribosomal proteins.
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Footnotes
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↵5 Corresponding author.
E-MAIL jkadonaga{at}ucsd.edu; FAX (858) 534-0555.
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Article published online ahead of print. Article and publication date are online at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.1951110.
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Supplemental material is available at http://www.genesdev.org.
- Received May 21, 2010.
- Accepted July 30, 2010.
- Copyright © 2010 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
