Article
- The EMBO Journal (2009) 28, 69 - 80
- doi:10.1038/emboj.2008.254
Published online: 4 December 2008
Subject Categories:
Identification, structure, and functional requirement of the Mediator submodule Med7N/31
Tobias Koschubs1, Martin Seizl1, Laurent Larivière1, Fabian Kurth1, Sonja Baumli1,a, Dietmar E Martin1 and Patrick Cramer1
- Gene Center and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Munich, Germany
Correspondence to:
Patrick Cramer, Gene Center and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Munich, Germany. Tel.: +49 89 2180 76951; Fax: +49 89 2180 76999; E-mail: cramer@LMB.uni-muenchen.de
aPresent address: Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
Received 17 September 2008; Accepted 7 November 2008
Abstract
Mediator is a modular multiprotein complex required for regulated transcription by RNA polymerase (Pol) II. Here, we show that the middle module of the Mediator core contains a submodule of unique structure and function that comprises the N-terminal part of subunit Med7 (Med7N) and the highly conserved subunit Med31 (Soh1). The Med7N/31 submodule shows a conserved novel fold, with two proline-rich stretches in Med7N wrapping around the right-handed four-helix bundle of Med31. In vitro, Med7N/31 is required for activated transcription and can act in trans when added exogenously. In vivo, Med7N/31 has a predominantly positive function on the expression of a specific subset of genes, including genes involved in methionine metabolism and iron transport. Comparative phenotyping and transcriptome profiling identify specific and overlapping functions of different Mediator submodules.
Keywords:
- CTD,
- Mediator of transcriptional regulation,
- RNA polymerase II transcription,
- structure–function analysis,
- TFIIS
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