Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
Published on: May 13, 2019
Asf1 mediates histone eviction and deposition during elongation by RNA polymerase II
Marc A Schwabish1, Kevin Struhl
1Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Histones are rapidly evicted and deposited during transcription by RNA polymerase (Pol) II, but a factor that mediates histone eviction in vivo has not yet been identified. Here, we show that the histone chaperone Asf1 associates with promoters and coding regions of transcriptionally active genes. Asf1 mediates histone H3, but not H2B, eviction and deposition during Pol II elongation, suggesting that nucleosome assembly and disassembly occur in a stepwise fashion. Lastly, Asf1 inhibits internal initiation from cryptic promoters within coding regions. These results strongly suggest that Asf1 functions as an elongation factor to disassemble and reassemble histones during Pol II elongation.
Related Concept Videos
Transcription Elongation Factors
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
Transcription Elongation Factors
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins
RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...

