@article{BugaiQuaresmaFriedeletal.2019, author = {Bugai, Andrii and Quaresma, Alexandre J. C. and Friedel, Caroline C. and Lenasi, Tina and D{\"u}ster, Robert and Sibley, Christopher R. and Fujinaga, Koh and Kukanja, Petra and Hennig, Thomas and Blasius, Melanie and Geyer, Matthias and Ule, Jernej and D{\"o}lken, Lars and Barborič, Matjaž}, title = {P-TEFb Activation by RBM7 Shapes a Pro-survival Transcriptional Response to Genotoxic Stress}, series = {Molecular Cell}, volume = {74}, journal = {Molecular Cell}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcel.2019.01.033}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221726}, pages = {254-267}, year = {2019}, abstract = {DNA damage response (DDR) involves dramatic transcriptional alterations, the mechanisms of which remain ill defined. Here, we show that following genotoxic stress, the RNA-binding motif protein 7 (RBM7) stimulates RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription and promotes cell viability by activating the positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) via its release from the inhibitory 7SK small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (7SK snRNP). This is mediated by activation of p38MAPK, which triggers enhanced binding of RBM7 with core subunits of 7SK snRNP. In turn, P-TEFb relocates to chromatin to induce transcription of short units, including key DDR genes and multiple classes of non-coding RNAs. Critically, interfering with the axis of RBM7 and P-TEFb provokes cellular hypersensitivity to DNA-damage-inducing agents due to activation of apoptosis. Our work uncovers the importance of stress-dependent stimulation of Pol II pause release, which enables a pro-survival transcriptional response that is crucial for cell fate upon genotoxic insult.}, language = {en} } @article{BaluapuriHofstetterDudvarskiStankovicetal.2019, author = {Baluapuri, Apoorva and Hofstetter, Julia and Dudvarski Stankovic, Nevenka and Endres, Theresa and Bhandare, Pranjali and Vos, Seychelle Monique and Adhikari, Bikash and Schwarz, Jessica Denise and Narain, Ashwin and Vogt, Markus and Wang, Shuang-Yan and D{\"u}ster, Robert and Jung, Lisa Anna and Vanselow, Jens Thorsten and Wiegering, Armin and Geyer, Matthias and Maric, Hans Michael and Gallant, Peter and Walz, Susanne and Schlosser, Andreas and Cramer, Patrick and Eilers, Martin and Wolf, Elmar}, title = {MYC Recruits SPT5 to RNA Polymerase II to Promote Processive Transcription Elongation}, series = {Molecular Cell}, volume = {74}, journal = {Molecular Cell}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcel.2019.02.031}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221438}, pages = {674-687}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The MYC oncoprotein binds to promoter-proximal regions of virtually all transcribed genes and enhances RNA polymerase II (Pol II) function, but its precise mode of action is poorly understood. Using mass spectrometry of both MYC and Pol II complexes, we show here that MYC controls the assembly of Pol II with a small set of transcription elongation factors that includes SPT5, a subunit of the elongation factor DSIF. MYC directly binds SPT5, recruits SPT5 to promoters, and enables the CDK7-dependent transfer of SPT5 onto Pol II. Consistent with known functions of SPT5, MYC is required for fast and processive transcription elongation. Intriguingly, the high levels of MYC that are expressed in tumors sequester SPT5 into non-functional complexes, thereby decreasing the expression of growth-suppressive genes. Altogether, these results argue that MYC controls the productive assembly of processive Pol II elongation complexes and provide insight into how oncogenic levels of MYC permit uncontrolled cellular growth.}, language = {en} }