• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 1995

Polyclonal antibodies against human DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (HPP II) were generated from chicken egg yolk after immunization with RNA polymerase II as an antigen. The antibodies from egg yolk (IgY) were purified and characterized. IgY showed a specificity against DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II, and was a polyclonal antibody against 12 subunits of polymerase II. An amount of 0.35 mg of IgY was obtained freman HPP II-Sepharose affinity column using 10 eggs from a chicken immunized against RNA polymerase II as an antigen. These antibodies can be used for isolating the genes for RNA polymerase II components, and for in vitro transcription assays using HP-RNA polymerase II.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.237-241
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• 2012

Embryonic genome activation (EGA) is the first major transition that occurs after fertilization, and entails a dramatic reprogramming of gene expression that is essential for continued development. Although it has been suggested that EGA in porcine embryos starts at the four-cell stage, recent evidence indicates that EGA may commence even earlier; however, the molecular details of EGA remain incompletely understood. The RNA polymerase II of eukaryotes transcribes mRNAs and most small nuclear RNAs. The largest subunit of RNA polymerase II can become phosphorylated in the C-terminal domain. The unphosphorylated form of the RNA polymerase II largest subunit C-terminal domain (IIa) plays a role in initiation of transcription, and the phosphorylated form (IIo) is required for transcriptional elongation and mRNA splicing. In the present study, we explored the nuclear translocation, nuclear localization, and phosphorylation dynamics of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain in immature pig oocytes, mature oocytes, two-, four-, and eight-cell embryos, and the morula and blastocyst. To this end, we used antibodies specific for the IIa and IIo forms of RNA polymerase II to stain the proteins. Unphosphorylated RNA polymerase II stained strongly in the nuclei of germinal vesicle oocytes, whereas the phosphorylated form of the enzyme was confined to the chromatin of prophase I oocytes. After fertilization, both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated RNA polymerase II began to accumulate in the nuclei of early stage one-cell embryos, and this pattern was maintained through to the blastocyst stage. The results suggest that both porcine oocytes and early embryos are transcriptionally competent, and that transcription of embryonic genes during the first three cell cycles parallels expression of phosphorylated RNA polymerase II.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 1997

We have prepared several chimeric constructs containing the bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase gene under control of the wound-inducible potato proteinase inhibitor II (pin2) promoter and have transformed Nicotiana tabacum plants with these constructs. Southern blot analyses indicate that either one or two copies of the gene constructs are present in the transgenic plants. Northern blot analyses indicate that mRNA encoding T7 RNA polymerase is expressed in a wound-inducible manner. We purified T7 RNA polymerase and prepared antiserum. This antiserum was used for Western blot analyses to demonstrate that a protein which is cross reactive with T7 RNA polymerase is produced. The molecular mass of this protein is 80 kDa, a size which is consistant with the nicked form of the polymerase as is often seen when expressed in E. coli. RNA polymerase assays were used to indicate that the nicked form of T7 RNA polymerase is active and capable of incorporating labeled nucleotides into transcripts in vitro. Analysis of transgenic plants did indeed show that wound-inducible activation of the T7 RNA polymerase permits the establishment of a genetic system to overexpress genes in plants using T7 RNA polymerase(Received March 20, 1997; accepted May 2, 1997)

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.789-793
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• 2012

Fertilization of the oocyte commences embryogenesis during which maternally inherited mRNAs are degraded and the embryonic genome is activated. Transcription of embryonic mRNA is initiated by embryonic genome activation (EGA). RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) is responsible for the synthesis of mRNAs and most small nuclear RNAs, and consists of 12 subunits, the largest of which characteristically harbors a unique C-terminal domain (CTD). Transcriptional activity of RNA Pol II is highly regulated, in particular, by phosphorylation of serine residues in the CTD. Here, we have shown the presence of RNA Pol II CTD phosphoisoforms in porcine oocytes and preimplantation embryos. The distribution pattern as well as phosphorylation dynamics in germinal vesicles and during embryogenesis differed in developmental stages with these isoforms, indicating a role of RNA Pol II CTD phosphorylation at the serine residue in transcriptional activation during both oocyte growth and embryonic genome activation. We additionally examined the effects of the RNA Pol II inhibitor, ${\alpha}$-amanitin, on embryo development. Our results show that inhibition of polymerase, even at very early stages and for a short period of time, dramatically impaired blastocyst formation. These findings collectively suggest that the functionality of maternal RNA Pol II, and consequently, expression of early genes regulated by this enzyme are essential for proper embryo development.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.5-14
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• 2005

Recently, data from several groups have raised the concept of 'checkpoint' in transcription. As capping of nascent RNA transcript is tightly coupled to RNA polymerase II transcription, we seek to obtain direct evidence that transcripiton checkpoint via capping enzyme functions in this early regulatory step. One of temperature sensitive (ts) alleles of ceg1, a guanylyltransferase subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiaecapping enzyme, showed 6-azauracil (6AU) sensitivity at the permissive growth temperature, which is a phenotype that is correlated with a transcription elongational defect. This ts allele, ceg1-63 also has an impaired ability to induce PUR5 in response to a 6AU treatment. However, this cellular and molecular defect is not due to the preferential degradation of the transcript attributed from a lack of guanylyltransferase activity. On the contrary, the data suggests that the guanylyltransferase subunit of the capping enzyme plays a role in transcription elongation. First, in addition to the 6AU sensitivity, ceg1-63is synthetically lethal with elongation defective mutations of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. Secondly, it exhibited a lower GAL1 mRNA turn-over after glucoseshut off. Third, it decreased the transcription read through a tandem array of promoter proximal pause sites in an orientation dependent manner. Interestingly, this mutant also showed lower pass through a pause site located further downstream of the promoter. Taken together, these results suggest that the capping enzyme plays the role of an early transcription checkpoint possibly in the step of the reversion of repression by stimulating polymerase to escape from the promoter proximal arrest once RNA becomes appropriately capped.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.1039-1042
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• 2009

RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain phosphatase 1 containing ubiquitin like domain (UBLCP1) has been identified as a regulatory molecule of RNA polymerase II. UBLCP1 consists of ubiquitin like domain (UBL) and phosphatase domain homologous with UDP and CTD phosphatase. UBLCP1 was cloned into the E.coli expression vectors, pET32a and pGEX 4T-1 with TEV protease cleavage site and purified using both affinity and gel-filtration chromatography. Domains of UBLCP1 protein were successfully purified as 7 mg/500 mL (UBLCP1, 36.78 KDa), 32 mg/500 mL (UBL, 9 KDa) and 8 mg/500 mL (phosphatase domain, 25 KDa) yielded in LB medium, respectively. Isotope-labeled samples including triple-labeled ($^2H/^{15}N/^{13}C$) UBLCP1 were also prepared for hetero-nuclear NMR experiments. $^{15}N-^{1}H$ 2D-HSQC spectra of UBLCP1 suggest that both UBL and phosphatase domain are properly folded and structurally independent each other. These data will promise us further structural investigation of UBLCP1 by NMR spectroscopy and/or X-ray crystallography.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.362-369
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• 1997

Multiple phosphorylation of the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit in RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) is thought to play an important role in the transcription cycle. The preinitiation complex in a partially purified complete transcription system suggested that RNA polymerase IIA containing unphosphorylated CTD is involved in complex assembly, whereas RNA polymerase IIO containing Ser and Thr phosphorylated CTD is not involved in preinitiation complex assembly. Recently a minimal transcription system was developed which requires chemically defined minimal components for its transcription: TBP, TFIIB, TFIIF, RNAP II and a supercoiled adenovirus-2 major late promoter (Ad-2 MLP). It would be using interesting to determine the consequence of CTD phosphorylation on preinitiation complex formation using the minimal transcription system. Contrary to the results from the partially purified complete transcription system, both RNA polymerase IIA and IIO are equally recruited in the preinitiation complex formation. The discrepancy may result from the two different assays used to determine complex formation, the use of chemically undefined complete and defined minimal transcription systems. This implicates that some factors in the complete transcription system are involved in the distinction between RNAP IIA and IIO in complex assembly. In addition multiple tyrosine phosphorylation of the CTD of RNAP II was prepared with c-Abl kinase and its recruiting ability in the preinitiation complex was examined. Compare with Ser and Thr phosphorylated RNAP IIO, Tyr phosphorylated RNAP IlOy forms a stable preinitiation complex in both the minimal and complete transcription systems. Based on these results, it seems that tyrosine phosphorylation of the CTD is important in the transcription cycle on the special subset of class-II promoter or has a different role in the transcription process.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.219.1-219.1
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• 2003

RNA polymerase II (pol II) is known to cycle between hyperphosphorylated and hypophosphorylated forms during transcription cycle. These extensive phosphorylation/dephosphorylation event occurs in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of pol II which consists of a tandemly repeated heptapeptide motif with consensus of YSPTSPS. (omitted)

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-28
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• 1976

Ginseng extracts were fractionated into several fractions with various organic solvents, and the effects of these fractions on the activity of RNA polymerase were examined. Fractions which showed positive effect on the activity of RNA polymerase were obtained both from white ginseng and red ginseng. For white ginseng the components which hare shown a positive effect on RNA polymerase roue found in total methanol extracts, the residual aqueous solution from ethyl acetate extraction and the methanol insoluble fraction of the above solution, whereas for red ginseng the positive components roue found in total methanol extracts and in ethyl ether extracts. These finding suggest that the ginseng components which have Positive effect on RNA polymerase be composed of Polar and nonpolar moieties, which may be cleaved into the ports during the processing the of red ginseng.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.140-145
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• 2016

Genes in multicellular organisms are transcribed in development, differentiation, or tissue-specific manners. The transcription of genes is activated by enhancers, which are transcription regulatory elements located at long distances from the genes. Recent studies have reported that noncoding RNAs are transcribed from active enhancers by RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II); these are called enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). eRNAs are transcribed bi-directionally from the enhancer core, and are capped on the 5’ end but not spliced or polyadenylated on the 3’ end. The transcription of eRNAs requires the binding of transcription activators on the enhancer and associates positively with the transcription of the target gene. The transcriptional inhibition of eRNAs or the removal of eRNA transcripts results in the transcriptional repression of the coding gene. The transcriptional procedure of eRNAs causes enhancer- specific histone modifications, such as histone H3K4me1/2. eRNA transcripts directly interact with Mediator and Rad21, a cohesin subunit, generating a chromatin loop structure between the enhancer and the promoter of the target gene. The recruitment of RNA Pol II into the promoter and its elongation through the coding region are facilitated by eRNAs. Here, we will review the features of eRNAs, and discuss the mechanism of eRNA transcription and the roles of eRNAs in the transcriptional activation of target genes.