Biology subjects

Brodolin, K.

Publications and source records attributed to Brodolin, K..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Single-stranded DNA drives sigma subunit loading onto RNA polymerase to unlock initiation-competent conformations

Initiation of transcription requires the formation of the "open" promoter complex (RPo). For this, the {sigma} subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) binds to the non-template strand of the -10 element sequence of promoters and nucleates DNA unwinding. This is accompanied by a cascade of conformational changes on RNAP the mechanics of which remains elusive. Here, using single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer and cryo-electron microscopy, we explored the conformational landscape of RNAP from the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis upon binding to a single-stranded DNA fragment that includes the -10 element sequence (-10 ssDNA). We found that like the transcription activator RbpA, -10 ssDNA induced {sigma} subunit loading onto the DNA/RNA channels of RNAP. This triggered RNAP clamp closure and unswiveling that are required for RPo formation and RNA synthesis initiation. Our results reveal a mechanism of ssDNA-guided RNAP maturation and identify the {sigma} subunit as a regulator of RNAP conformational dynamics

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Structural basis of the mycobacterial stress-response RNA polymerase auto-inhibition via oligomerization

Self-assembly of macromolecules into higher-order symmetric structures is fundamental for the regulation of biological processes. Higher-order symmetric structure self-assembly by the gene expression machinery, such as bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP), has never been reported before. Here, we show that the stress-response {sigma}B factor from the human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, induces the RNAP holoenzyme oligomerization into a supramolecular complex composed of eight RNAP units. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed a pseudo-symmetric structure of the RNAP octamer in which RNAP protomers are captured in an auto-inhibited state and display an open-clamp conformation. The structure shows that {sigma}B is sequestered by the RNAP flap and clamp domains. The transcriptional activator RbpA prevented octamer formation by promoting the initiation-competent RNAP conformation. Our results revealed that nonconserved region of {sigma} is an allosteric controller of transcription initiation and demonstrated how basal transcription factors can regulate gene expression by modulating the RNAP holoenzyme assembly and hibernation.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Anti-pausing activity of region 4 of the RNA polymerase σ subunit and its regulation by σ-remodeling factors

The basal transcription factors of cellular RNA polymerases (RNAPs) stimulate the initial RNA synthesis via poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we explored the mechanism employed by the bacterial factor {sigma} in promoter-independent initial transcription. We found that the RNAP holoenzyme lacking the promoter-binding domain {sigma}4 is ineffective in de novo transcription initiation and displays high propensity to pausing upon extension of RNAs 3 to 7 nucleotides in length. The {sigma}4 domain stabilizes short RNA:DNA hybrids and suppresses pausing by stimulating RNAP active-center translocation. The anti-pausing activity of {sigma}4 is modulated by its interaction with the {beta} subunit flap domain and by the {sigma} remodeling factors AsiA and RbpA. Our results suggest that the presence of {sigma}4 within the RNA exit channel compensates for the intrinsic instability of short RNA:DNA hybrids by increasing RNAP processivity, thus favoring productive transcription initiation. This "RNAP boosting" activity of the initiation factor is shaped by the the thermodynamics of RNA:DNA interactions and thus, should be relevant for any factor-dependent RNAP.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Pausing controls branching between productive and non-productive pathways during initial transcription

Transcription in bacteria is controlled by multiple molecular mechanisms that precisely regulate gene expression. Recently, initial RNA synthesis by the bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) has been shown to be interrupted by pauses; however, the pausing determinants and the relationship of pausing with productive and abortive RNA synthesis remain poorly understood. Here, we employed single-molecule FRET and biochemical analysis to disentangle the pausing-related pathways of bacterial initial transcription. We present further evidence that region {sigma}3.2 constitutes a barrier after the initial transcribing complex synthesizes a 6-nt RNA (ITC6), halting transcription. We also show that the paused ITC6 state acts as a checkpoint that directs RNAP, in an NTP-dependent manner, to one of three competing pathways: productive transcription, abortive RNA release, or a new unscrunching/scrunching pathway that blocks transcription initiation. Our results show that abortive RNA release and DNA unscrunching are not as tightly coupled as previously thought.

biophysics↗