Mutations of RNA polymerase II activate key genes of the nucleoside triphosphate biosynthetic pathways

The yeast URA2 gene, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme of UTP biosynthesis, is transcriptionally activated by UTP shortage. In contrast to other genes of the UTP pathway, this activation is not governed by the Ppr1 activator. Moreover, it is not due to an increased recruitment of RNA polymerase II at the URA2 promoter, but to its much more effective progression beyond the URA2 mRNA start site(s). Regulatory mutants constitutively expressing URA2 resulted from cis-acting deletions upstream of the transcription initiator region, or from amino-acid replacements altering the RNA polymerase II Switch 1 loop domain, such as rpb1-L1397S. These two mutation classes allowed RNA polymerase to progress downstream of the URA2 mRNA start site(s). rpb1-L1397S had similar effects on IMD2 (IMP dehydrogenase) and URA8 (CTP synthase), and thus specifically activated the rate-limiting steps of UTP, GTP and CTP biosynthesis. These data suggest that the Switch 1 loop of RNA polymerase II, located at the downstream end of the transcription bubble, may operate as a specific sensor of the nucleoside triphosphates available for transcription

Etude à grande échelle du rôle de TFIIS et de ses partenaires dans la transcription chez les eucaryotes

During my thesis I worked on the transcription factor TFIIS, which is responsible for the stimulation of the cleavage activity of arrested RNA polymerase II (Pol II). The genome-wide location analysis of TFIIS in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using ChIP-on-chip experiments revealed that TFIIS is located on many Pol II-transcribed genes, but also on all Pol III-transcribed genes, thus suggesting an unsuspected role of this protein in Pol III transcription. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments allowed us to propose that TFIIS is a Pol III transcription factor implicated in start site selection. I then decided to pursue this study in Mus musculus, in order to determine if the role of TFIIS in Pol III transcription is conserved in higher eukaryotes. Preliminary experiments revealed that Tcea1, one of the TFIIS isoforms in M. musculus, is located on some Pol II and Pol III transcribed genes. During my thesis, I have also been involved in two other projects. One of them focused on the role of the Mediator, a multiprotein coactivator complex of the RNA polymerase II, in the formation of the preinitiation complex by recruiting the TFIIH factor. The other project allowed us to demonstrate that the RNA polymerase II acts as a sensor of the nucleoside triphosphate availability in the cell.Au cours de ma thèse, je me suis intéressée au facteur de transcription TFIIS, un facteur d'élongation de l'ARN polymérase II impliqué dans la stimulation de l'activité de clivage intrinsèque de cette enzyme. L'étude de la localisation globale du facteur TFIIS sur le génome de Saccharomyces cerevisiae par ChIP-on-chip a révélé que TFIIS, en plus d'être présent sur les gènes de classe II (ie. transcrits par l'ARN polymérase II), est également présent sur l'ensemble des transcrits de classe III (ie. transcrits par l'ARN polymérase III), suggérant ainsi un rôle jusqu'alors inconnu de cette protéine dans la transcription par l'ARN polymérase III. Des expériences de génomique, de génétique et de biochimie nous ont permis de montrer que TFIIS est un facteur de transcription de l'ARN polymérase III impliqué dans le choix du site d'initiation de la transcription. Par la suite, j'ai souhaité poursuivre cette étude chez Mus musculus, afin de déterminer, entre autres, si le rôle de TFIIS dans la transcription par l'ARN polymérase III est conservé chez les eucaryotes pluricellulaires. Des expériences préliminaires révèlent que Tcea1, l'une des isoformes de TFIIS chez M. musculus, serait présent sur quelques gènes de classe II et III. Lors de ma thèse, j'ai également pris part à deux autres projets en cours dans le laboratoire. L'un a porté sur le rôle du Médiateur, un complexe multiprotéique coactivateur de la transcription par l'ARN polymérase II, dans la mise en place du complexe de préinitiation via le recrutement du facteur TFIIH. Le second projet a permis de montrer que l'ARN polymérase II agit comme un senseur de la disponibilité en nucléosides triphosphates dans la cellule

Analyzing Transcription Factor Occupancy During Embryo Development Using ChIP-seq

International audienc

3D genome organisation in Drosophila

International audienc

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation for Analyzing Transcription Factor Binding and Histone Modifications in Drosophila

International audienc

FourCSeq: analysis of 4C sequencing data

International audienc

PHD and TFIIS-Like domains of the Bye1 transcription factor determine its multivalent genomic distribution.

The BYpass of Ess1 (Bye1) protein is a putative S. cerevisiae transcription factor homologous to the human cancer-associated PHF3/DIDO family of proteins. Bye1 contains a Plant Homeodomain (PHD) and a TFIIS-like domain. The Bye1 PHD finger interacts with tri-methylated lysine 4 of histone H3 (H3K4me3) while the TFIIS-like domain binds to RNA polymerase (Pol) II. Here, we investigated the contribution of these structural features to Bye1 recruitment to chromatin as well as its function in transcriptional regulation. Genome-wide analysis of Bye1 distribution revealed at least two distinct modes of association with actively transcribed genes: within the core of Pol II- and Pol III-transcribed genes concomitant with the presence of the TFIIS transcription factor and, additionally, with promoters of a subset of Pol II-transcribed genes. Specific loss of H3K4me3 abolishes Bye1 association to gene promoters, but doesn't affect its binding within gene bodies. Genetic interactions suggested an essential role of Bye1 in cell fitness under stress conditions compensating the absence of TFIIS. Furthermore, BYE1 deletion resulted in the attenuation of GAL genes expression upon galactose-mediated induction indicating its positive role in transcription regulation. Together, these findings point to a bimodal role of Bye1 in regulation of Pol II transcription. It is recruited via its PHD domain to H3K4 tri-methylated promoters at early steps of transcription. Once Pol II is engaged into elongation, Bye1 binds directly to the transcriptional machinery, modulating its progression along the gene

Multigenome analysis identifies a worldwide distributed epidemic Legionella pneumophila clone that emerged within a highly diverse species

Genomics can provide the basis for understanding the evolution of emerging, lethal human pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease. This bacterium replicates within amoebae and persists in the environment as a free-living microbe. Among the many Legionella species described, L. pneumophila is associated with 90% of human disease and within the 15 serogroups (Sg), L. pneumophila Sg1 causes over 84% of Legionnaires’ disease worldwide. Why L. pneumophila Sg1 is so predominant is unknown. Here, we report the first comprehensive screen of the gene content of 217 L. pneumophila and 32 non-L. pneumophila strains isolated from humans and the environment using a Legionella DNA-array. Strikingly, we uncovered a high conservation of virulence- and eukaryotic-like genes, indicating strong environmental selection pressures for their preservation. No specific hybridization profile differentiated clinical and environmental strains or strains of different serogroups. Surprisingly, the gene cluster coding the determinants of the core and the O side-chain synthesis of the lipopolysaccaride (LPS cluster) determining Sg1 was present in diverse genomic backgrounds, strongly implicating the LPS of Sg1 itself as a principal cause of the high prevalence of Sg1 strains in human disease and suggesting that the LPS cluster can be transferred horizontally. Genomic analysis also revealed that L. pneumophila is a genetically diverse species, in part due to horizontal gene transfer of mobile genetic elements among L. pneumophila strains, but also between different Legionella species. However, the genomic background also plays a role in disease causation as demonstrated by the identification of a globally distributed epidemic strain exhibiting the genotype of the sequenced L. pneumophila strain Paris

Genome-wide location analysis reveals a role of TFIIS in RNA polymerase III transcription

TFIIS is a transcription elongation factor that stimulates transcript cleavage activity of arrested RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Recent studies revealed that TFIIS has also a role in Pol II transcription initiation. To improve our understanding of TFIIS function in vivo, we performed genome-wide location analysis of this factor. Under normal growth conditions, TFIIS was detected on Pol II-transcribed genes, and TFIIS occupancy was well correlated with that of Pol II, indicating that TFIIS recruitment is not restricted to NTP-depleted cells. Unexpectedly, TFIIS was also detected on almost all Pol III-transcribed genes. TFIIS and Pol III occupancies correlated well genome-wide on this novel class of targets. In vivo, some dst1 mutants were partly defective in tRNA synthesis and showed a reduced Pol III occupancy at the restrictive temperature. In vitro transcription assays suggested that TFIIS may affect Pol III start site selection. These data provide strong in vivo and in vitro evidence in favor of a role of TFIIS as a general Pol III transcription factor