FACT maintains chromatin architecture and thereby stimulates RNA polymerase II pausing during transcription in vivo.

Facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) is a histone chaperone that supports transcription through chromatin in vitro, but its functional roles in vivo remain unclear. Here, we analyze the in vivo functions of FACT with the use of multi-omics analysis after rapid FACT depletion from human cells. We show that FACT depletion destabilizes chromatin and leads to transcriptional defects, including defective promoter-proximal pausing and elongation, and increased premature termination of RNA polymerase II. Unexpectedly, our analysis revealed that promoter-proximal pausing depends not only on the negative elongation factor (NELF) but also on the +1 nucleosome, which is maintained by FACT.

Nuclear export is a limiting factor in eukaryotic mRNA metabolism.

The eukaryotic mRNA life cycle includes transcription, nuclear mRNA export and degradation. To quantify all these processes simultaneously, we perform thiol-linked alkylation after metabolic labeling of RNA with 4-thiouridine (4sU), followed by sequencing of RNA (SLAM-seq) in the nuclear and cytosolic compartments of human cancer cells. We develop a model that reliably quantifies mRNA-specific synthesis, nuclear export, and nuclear and cytosolic degradation rates on a genome-wide scale. We find that nuclear degradation of polyadenylated mRNA is negligible and nuclear mRNA export is slow, while cytosolic mRNA degradation is comparatively fast. Consequently, an mRNA molecule generally spends most of its life in the nucleus. We also observe large differences in the nuclear export rates of different 3'UTR transcript isoforms. Furthermore, we identify genes whose expression is abruptly induced upon metabolic labeling. These transcripts are exported substantially faster than average mRNAs, suggesting the existence of alternative export pathways. Our results highlight nuclear mRNA export as a limiting factor in mRNA metabolism and gene regulation.

The Pseudo-Natural Product Tafbromin Selectively Targets the TAF1 Bromodomain 2.

Phenotypic assays detect small-molecule bioactivity at functionally relevant cellular sites, and inherently cover a variety of targets and mechanisms of action. They can uncover new small molecule-target pairs and may give rise to novel biological insights. By means of an osteoblast differentiation assay which employs a Hedgehog (Hh) signaling agonist as stimulus and which monitors an endogenous marker for osteoblasts, we identified a pyrrolo[3,4-g]quinoline (PQ) pseudo-natural product (PNP) class of osteogenesis inhibitors. The most potent PQ, termed Tafbromin, impairs canonical Hh signaling and modulates osteoblast differentiation through binding to the bromodomain 2 of the TATA-box binding protein-associated factor 1 (TAF1). Tafbromin is the most selective TAF1 bromodomain 2 ligand and promises to be an invaluable tool for the study of biological processes mediated by TAF1(2) bromodomains.

ARS2 instructs early transcription termination-coupled RNA decay by recruiting ZC3H4 to nascent transcripts.

The RNA-binding ARS2 protein is centrally involved in both early RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription termination and transcript decay. Despite its essential nature, the mechanisms by which ARS2 enacts these functions have remained unclear. Here, we show that a conserved basic domain of ARS2 binds a corresponding acidic-rich, short linear motif (SLiM) in the transcription restriction factor ZC3H4. This interaction recruits ZC3H4 to chromatin to elicit RNAPII termination, independent of other early termination pathways defined by the cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA) and Integrator (INT) complexes. We find that ZC3H4, in turn, forms a direct connection to the nuclear exosome targeting (NEXT) complex, hereby facilitating rapid degradation of the nascent RNA. Hence, ARS2 instructs the coupled transcription termination and degradation of the transcript onto which it is bound. This contrasts with ARS2 function at CPA-instructed termination sites where the protein exclusively partakes in RNA suppression via post-transcriptional decay.

Structural basis of SNAPc-dependent snRNA transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II.

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) carries out transcription of both protein-coding and non-coding genes. Whereas Pol II initiation at protein-coding genes has been studied in detail, Pol II initiation at non-coding genes, such as small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes, is less well understood at the structural level. Here, we study Pol II initiation at snRNA gene promoters and show that the snRNA-activating protein complex (SNAPc) enables DNA opening and transcription initiation independent of TFIIE and TFIIH in vitro. We then resolve cryo-EM structures of the SNAPc-containing Pol IIpre-initiation complex (PIC) assembled on U1 and U5 snRNA promoters. The core of SNAPc binds two turns of DNA and recognizes the snRNA promoter-specific proximal sequence element (PSE), located upstream of the TATA box-binding protein TBP. Two extensions of SNAPc, called wing-1 and wing-2, bind TFIIA and TFIIB, respectively, explaining how SNAPc directs Pol II to snRNA promoters. Comparison of structures of closed and open promoter complexes elucidates TFIIH-independent DNA opening. These results provide the structural basis of Pol II initiation at non-coding RNA gene promoters.

Two distinct mechanisms of RNA polymerase II elongation stimulation in vivo.

Transcription by RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) relies on the elongation factors PAF1 complex (PAF), RTF1, and SPT6. Here, we use rapid factor depletion and multi-omics analysis to investigate how these elongation factors influence RNA Pol II elongation activity in human cells. Whereas depletion of PAF subunits PAF1 and CTR9 has little effect on cellular RNA synthesis, depletion of RTF1 or SPT6 strongly compromises RNA Pol II activity, albeit in fundamentally different ways. RTF1 depletion decreases RNA Pol II velocity, whereas SPT6 depletion impairs RNA Pol II progression through nucleosomes. These results show that distinct elongation factors stimulate either RNA Pol II velocity or RNA Pol II progression through chromatin in vivo. Further analysis provides evidence for two distinct barriers to early elongation: the promoter-proximal pause site and the +1 nucleosome. It emerges that the first barrier enables loading of elongation factors that are required to overcome the second and subsequent barriers to transcription.

Integrator is a genome-wide attenuator of non-productive transcription.

Termination of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription in metazoans relies largely on the cleavage and polyadenylation (CPA) and integrator (INT) complexes originally found to act at the ends of protein-coding and small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes, respectively. Here, we monitor CPA- and INT-dependent termination activities genome-wide, including at thousands of previously unannotated transcription units (TUs), producing unstable RNA. We verify the global activity of CPA occurring at pA sites indiscriminately of their positioning relative to the TU promoter. We also identify a global activity of INT, which is largely sequence-independent and restricted to a ~3-kb promoter-proximal region. Our analyses suggest two functions of genome-wide INT activity: it dampens transcriptional output from weak promoters, and it provides quality control of RNAPII complexes that are unfavorably configured for transcriptional elongation. We suggest that the function of INT in stable snRNA production is an exception from its general cellular role, the attenuation of non-productive transcription.

The Implication of Early Chromatin Changes in X Chromosome Inactivation.

During development, the precise relationships between transcription and chromatin modifications often remain unclear. We use the X chromosome inactivation (XCI) paradigm to explore the implication of chromatin changes in gene silencing. Using female mouse embryonic stem cells, we initiate XCI by inducing Xist and then monitor the temporal changes in transcription and chromatin by allele-specific profiling. This reveals histone deacetylation and H2AK119 ubiquitination as the earliest chromatin alterations during XCI. We show that HDAC3 is pre-bound on the X chromosome and that, upon Xist coating, its activity is required for efficient gene silencing. We also reveal that first PRC1-associated H2AK119Ub and then PRC2-associated H3K27me3 accumulate initially at large intergenic domains that can then spread into genes only in the context of histone deacetylation and gene silencing. Our results reveal the hierarchy of chromatin events during the initiation of XCI and identify key roles for chromatin in the early steps of transcriptional silencing.

FBXO3 Protein Promotes Ubiquitylation and Transcriptional Activity of AIRE (Autoimmune Regulator).

The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a transcription factor which is expressed in medullary thymic epithelial cells. It directs the expression of otherwise tissue-specific antigens, which leads to the elimination of autoreactive T cells during development. AIRE is modified post-translationally by phosphorylation and ubiquitylation. In this report we connected these modifications. AIRE, which is phosphorylated on two specific residues near its N terminus, then binds to the F-box protein 3 (FBXO3) E3 ubiquitin ligase. In turn, this SCF(FBXO3) (SKP1-CUL1-F box) complex ubiquitylates AIRE, increases its binding to the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb), and potentiates its transcriptional activity. Because P-TEFb is required for the transition from initiation to elongation of transcription, this interaction ensures proper expression of AIRE-responsive tissue-specific antigens in the thymus.

The mechanism of tissue-restricted antigen gene expression by AIRE.

The autoimmune regulator is a critical transcription factor for generating central tolerance in the thymus. Recent studies have revealed how the autoimmune regulator targets many otherwise tissue-restricted Ag genes to enable negative selection of autoreactive T cells.

Unmodified histone H3K4 and DNA-dependent protein kinase recruit autoimmune regulator to target genes.

Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) directs the expression of otherwise tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) in medullary thymic epithelial cells, allowing their presentation to developing T cells, which leads to central tolerance. We addressed the conundrum of how AIRE is recruited to these otherwise silent genes in cells. Our studies confirmed that interactions between AIRE and the unmodified histone H3K4 (H3K4me0) are important for targeting AIRE to the mouse insulin promoter in chromatin. By replacing its H3K4me0-binding module with one that binds to the methylated H3K4me3, we redirected the mutant AIRE.ING protein to an actively transcribed gene. Nevertheless, the mutant AIRE D297A protein, which could not bind to H3K4me0, still activated the human insulin promoter on an episomal plasmid target. This targeting was due to DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Thus, in cells that lacked the catalytic subunit of DNA-PK (DNA-PKcs), the assembly and activity of AIRE on DNA, whether in chromatin or on episomal plasmids, was abrogated. However, by the heterologous tethering of AIRE to DNA, we could restore its activity on a plasmid target in DNA-PKcs-negative cells. Importantly, mutations in the putative DNA-binding residues in its SAND domain had no effect on the transcriptional effects of AIRE. Thus, AIRE is recruited to TRA genes in chromatin via cooperative interactions with H3K4me0 and DNA-PK.

Patient mutation in AIRE disrupts P-TEFb binding and target gene transcription.

Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a transcription factor that induces the expression of a large subset of otherwise strictly tissue restricted antigens in medullary thymic epithelial cells, thereby enabling their presentation to developing T cells for negative selection. Mutations in AIRE lead to autoimmune-polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), a rare monogenetic disease. Although it has been reported that AIRE interacts with proteins involved in nuclear transport, DNA-damage response, chromatin remodeling, transcription and pre-mRNA-splicing, the precise mechanism of AIRE-induced tissue restricted antigen expression has remained elusive. In this study, we investigated an APECED patient mutation that causes the loss of the extreme C-terminus of AIRE and found that this mutant protein is transcriptionaly inactive. When tethered heterologously to DNA, this domain could stimulate transcription and splicing by itself. Moreover, the loss of this C-terminus disrupted interactions with the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb). Via P-TEFb, AIRE increased levels of RNA polymerase II on and enhanced pre-mRNA splicing of heterologous and endogenous target genes. Indeed, the inhibition of CDK9, the kinase subunit of P-TEFb, inhibited AIRE-induced pre-mRNA splicing of these genes. Thus, AIRE requires P-TEFb to activate transcription elongation and co-transcriptional processing of target genes.

Mechanisms of an autoimmunity syndrome in mice caused by a dominant mutation in Aire.

Homozygous loss-of-function mutations in AIRE cause autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS 1), which manifests in a classic triad of hypoparathyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, and candidiasis. Interestingly, a kindred with a specific G228W AIRE variant presented with an autosomal dominant autoimmune phenotype distinct from APS 1. We utilized a novel G228W-knockin mouse model to show that this variant acted in a dominant-negative manner to cause a unique autoimmunity syndrome. In addition, the expression of a large number of Aire-regulated thymic antigens was partially inhibited in these animals, demonstrating the importance of quantitative changes in thymic antigen expression in determining organ-specific autoimmunity. Furthermore, the dominant-negative effect of the G228W variant was exerted through recruitment of WT Aire away from active sites of transcription in the nucleus of medullary thymic epithelial cells in vivo. Together, these results may demonstrate a mechanism by which autoimmune predisposition to phenotypes distinct from APS 1 can be mediated in a dominant-negative fashion by Aire.