F
IPR007178

Archaeal transcription elongation factor Spt4

InterPro entry
Short nameSpt4_arch
Overlapping
homologous
superfamilies
 

Description

This entry represents Spt4 from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (also known as RpoE2) and similar sequences mainly found in archaea. Spt4, of about 64 amino acids, forms a heterodimer with Spt5. The Spt4/5 heterodimer is considered a transcription elongation factor, responsible for making the archaeal DNA-directed RNA polymerase (RNAP) processive
[1, 2, 3]
.

DNA-directed RNA polymerases, also known as DNA-dependent RNA polymerases, are responsible for the polymerisation of ribonucleotides into a sequence complementary to the template DNA. Eukaryotes have three different DNA-directed RNA polymerases (RNAPs), Pol I, II, and III, whereas Archaea and Bacteria have single enzymes.

RNAPs are multisubunit enzymes. Archaeal RNAP is closely related to eukaryotic RNAP II
[4]
, which consists of 12 subunits. Archaeal RNAP has an additional subunit, Rpo13, with no orthologue in the eukaryotic enzyme
[5]
.

References

1.Architecture of the RNA polymerase-Spt4/5 complex and basis of universal transcription processivity. Martinez-Rucobo FW, Sainsbury S, Cheung AC, Cramer P. EMBO J. 30, 1302-10, (2011). View articlePMID: 21386817

2.A global analysis of transcription reveals two modes of Spt4/5 recruitment to archaeal RNA polymerase. Smollett K, Blombach F, Reichelt R, Thomm M, Werner F. Nat Microbiol 2, 17021, (2017). View articlePMID: 28248297

3.Spt4/5 stimulates transcription elongation through the RNA polymerase clamp coiled-coil motif. Hirtreiter A, Damsma GE, Cheung AC, Klose D, Grohmann D, Vojnic E, Martin AC, Cramer P, Werner F. Nucleic Acids Res. 38, 4040-51, (2010). View articlePMID: 20197319

4.Archaeal RNA polymerase. Hirata A, Murakami KS. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 19, 724-31, (2009). View articlePMID: 19880312

5.Evolution of Complex RNA Polymerases: The Complete Archaeal RNA Polymerase Structure. Korkhin Y, Unligil UM, Littlefield O, Nelson PJ, Stuart DI, Sigler PB, Bell SD, Abrescia NG. PLoS Biol. 7, e102, (2009). View articlePMID: 19419240

Further reading

6. A subunit of an archaeal DNA-dependent RNA polymerase contains the S1 motif. Langer D, Lottspeich F, Zillig W. Nucleic Acids Res. 22, 694, (1994). View articlePMID: 8127719

GO terms

molecular function

  • None

cellular component

  • None
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