Displacement of Xenopus transcription factor IIIA from a 5S rRNA gene by a transcribing RNA polymerase

In the absence of other components of the RNA polymerase III transcription machinery, transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA) can be displaced from both strands of its DNA-binding site (the internal control region) on the somatic-type 5S rRNA gene of Xenopus borealis during transcription elongation by bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase, regardless of which DNA strand is transcribed. Furthermore, substantial displacement is observed after the template has been transcribed only once. Since the complete 5S rRNA transcription complex has previously been shown to remain stably bound to the gene during repeated rounds of transcription by either RNA polymerase III or bacteriophage SP6 RNA polymerase, these results indicate that a factor(s) in addition to TFIIIA is required to create a complex that will remain stably associated with the template during transcription. Thus, transcription complex stability during passage of RNA polymerase cannot be explained solely on the basis of the DNA-binding properties of TFIIIA.