In: Biology
RPB1 is post-translationally modified on what residues? By what enzymes? What is the role of these modifications in transcription? These modifications have multiple functions. Can you name the multiple functions?
RPB1 is the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. It contains a carboxy terminal domain which contains repeats of hepta-peptide consensus sequence N-Tyr 1-Ser 2-Pro 3-Thr 4-Ser 5-Pro 6-Ser 7-C. It occurs about 52 times in the protein. It is on these amino acid residues that post-transcriptional modifications such as phosphorylation, glycosylation and cis–trans isomerization occur.
Different phosphorylation patterns in combination with cis-trans isomerization of prolines creates an array of different carboxy terminal configurations. Phosphorylation of the carboxy terminal domain during the transcription cycle helps in integrating transcription with chromatin modelling and nascent RNA processing (capping, splicing and 3’ end processing).This is done by the mechanism of regulating the recruitment of chromatin modifying enzymes and RNA processing proteins on the transcribed gene.