7NVU

RNA polymerase II core pre-initiation complex with open promoter DNA

Summary for 7NVU

• Entry DOI: 10.2210/pdb7nvu/pdb
• Related: 7NVS 7NVT 7NVV 7NVW 7NVX 7NVZ 7NW0
• EMDB information: 12611 12613 12624 12630
• Descriptor: RPB1, DNA-directed RNA polymerases I, II, and III subunit RPABC5, RNA_pol_L_2 domain-containing protein, ... (24 entities in total)
• Functional Keywords: initiation, transcription
• Biological source: Homo sapiens (Human); More
• Total number of polymer chains: 22
• Total formula weight: 879498.92

Authors

Aibara, S.,Schilbach, S.,Cramer, P. (deposition date: 2021-03-16, release date: 2021-05-05, Last modification date: 2024-07-10)

Primary citation

Aibara, S.,Schilbach, S.,Cramer, P.
Structures of mammalian RNA polymerase II pre-initiation complexes.
Nature, 594:124-128, 2021

PubMed Abstract: The initiation of transcription is a focal point for the regulation of gene activity during mammalian cell differentiation and development. To initiate transcription, RNA polymerase II (Pol II) assembles with general transcription factors into a pre-initiation complex (PIC) that opens promoter DNA. Previous work provided the molecular architecture of the yeast and human PIC and a topological model for DNA opening by the general transcription factor TFIIH. Here we report the high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of PIC comprising human general factors and Sus scrofa domesticus Pol II, which is 99.9% identical to human Pol II. We determine the structures of PIC with closed and opened promoter DNA at 2.5-2.8 Å resolution, and resolve the structure of TFIIH at 2.9-4.0 Å resolution. We capture the TFIIH translocase XPB in the pre- and post-translocation states, and show that XPB induces and propagates a DNA twist to initiate the opening of DNA approximately 30 base pairs downstream of the TATA box. We also provide evidence that DNA opening occurs in two steps and leads to the detachment of TFIIH from the core PIC, which may stop DNA twisting and enable RNA chain initiation.

PubMed: 33902107
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03554-8

Experimental method

ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (2.5 Å)