TY - JOUR

T1 - A role for noncoding transcription in activation of the yeast PHO5 gene

AU - Uhler, Jay P.

AU - Hertel, Christina

AU - Svejstrup, Jesper Q.

PY - 2007/5/8

Y1 - 2007/5/8

N2 - Noncoding, or intergenic, transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNA-PII) is remarkably widespread in eukaryotic organisms, but the effects of such transcription remain poorly understood. Here we show that noncoding transcription plays a role in activation, but not repression, of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PHO5 gene. Histone eviction from the PHO5 promoter during activation occurs with normal kinetics even in the absence of the PHO5 TATA box, showing that transcription of the gene itself is not required for promoter remodeling. Nevertheless, we find that mutations that impair transcript elongation by RNAPII affect the kinetics of histone eviction from the PHO5 promoter. Most dramatically, inactivation of RNAPII itself abolishes eviction completely. Under repressing conditions, an ≈2.4-kb noncoding exosome-degraded transcript is detected that originates near the PHO5 termination site and is transcribed in the antisense direction. Abrogation of this transcript delays chromatin remodeling and subsequent RNAPII recruitment to PHO5 upon activation. We propose that noncoding transcription through positioned nucleosomes can enhance chromatin plasticity so that chromatin remodeling and activation of traversed genes occur in a timely manner.

AB - Noncoding, or intergenic, transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNA-PII) is remarkably widespread in eukaryotic organisms, but the effects of such transcription remain poorly understood. Here we show that noncoding transcription plays a role in activation, but not repression, of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PHO5 gene. Histone eviction from the PHO5 promoter during activation occurs with normal kinetics even in the absence of the PHO5 TATA box, showing that transcription of the gene itself is not required for promoter remodeling. Nevertheless, we find that mutations that impair transcript elongation by RNAPII affect the kinetics of histone eviction from the PHO5 promoter. Most dramatically, inactivation of RNAPII itself abolishes eviction completely. Under repressing conditions, an ≈2.4-kb noncoding exosome-degraded transcript is detected that originates near the PHO5 termination site and is transcribed in the antisense direction. Abrogation of this transcript delays chromatin remodeling and subsequent RNAPII recruitment to PHO5 upon activation. We propose that noncoding transcription through positioned nucleosomes can enhance chromatin plasticity so that chromatin remodeling and activation of traversed genes occur in a timely manner.

KW - Elongation

KW - Intergenic transcription

KW - RNA polymerase II

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0702431104

DO - 10.1073/pnas.0702431104

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 17470801

AN - SCOPUS:34249942265

VL - 104

SP - 8011

EP - 8016

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

SN - 0027-8424

IS - 19

ER -