School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
J Cell Biol. 2022 Feb 7;221(2). doi: 10.1083/jcb.202104134. Epub 2021 Dec 2.
In eukaryotic nuclei, most genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (RNAP2), whose regulation is a key to understanding the genome and cell function. RNAP2 has a long heptapeptide repeat (Tyr1-Ser2-Pro3-Thr4-Ser5-Pro6-Ser7), and Ser2 is phosphorylated on an elongation form. To detect RNAP2 Ser2 phosphorylation (RNAP2 Ser2ph) in living cells, we developed a genetically encoded modification-specific intracellular antibody (mintbody) probe. The RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody exhibited numerous foci, possibly representing transcription "factories," and foci were diminished during mitosis and in a Ser2 kinase inhibitor. An in vitro binding assay using phosphopeptides confirmed the mintbody's specificity. RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody foci were colocalized with proteins associated with elongating RNAP2 compared with factors involved in the initiation. These results support the view that mintbody localization represents the sites of RNAP2 Ser2ph in living cells. RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody foci showed constrained diffusional motion like chromatin, but they were more mobile than DNA replication domains and p300-enriched foci, suggesting that the elongating RNAP2 complexes are separated from more confined chromatin domains.
在真核细胞核中,大多数基因都是由 RNA 聚合酶 II(RNAP2)转录的,其调控是理解基因组和细胞功能的关键。RNAP2 具有一个长的七肽重复(Tyr1-Ser2-Pro3-Thr4-Ser5-Pro6-Ser7),Ser2 在延伸形式上被磷酸化。为了在活细胞中检测 RNAP2 Ser2 磷酸化(RNAP2 Ser2ph),我们开发了一种遗传编码的修饰特异性细胞内抗体(mintbody)探针。RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody 表现出许多焦点,可能代表转录“工厂”,并且在有丝分裂和 Ser2 激酶抑制剂中焦点减少。使用磷酸肽的体外结合测定证实了 mintbody 的特异性。与起始相关的因素相比,RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody 焦点与与延伸中的 RNAP2 相关的蛋白质共定位。这些结果支持 mintbody 定位代表活细胞中 RNAP2 Ser2ph 位点的观点。RNAP2 Ser2ph-mintbody 焦点表现出类似于染色质的受限扩散运动,但比 DNA 复制域和富含 p300 的焦点更具流动性,表明延伸中的 RNAP2 复合物与更受限的染色质域分离。