Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
Published on: May 13, 2019
A tandem SH2 domain in transcription elongation factor Spt6 binds the phosphorylated RNA polymerase II C-terminal
Mai Sun1, Laurent Larivière, Stefan Dengl
1Gene Center Munich and Department of Biochemistry, Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany.
Abstract:
Spt6 is an essential transcription elongation factor and histone chaperone that binds the C-terminal repeat domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II. We show here that Spt6 contains a tandem SH2 domain with a novel structure and CTD-binding mode. The tandem SH2 domain binds to a serine 2-phosphorylated CTD peptide in vitro, whereas its N-terminal SH2 subdomain, which we previously characterized, does not. CTD binding requires a positively charged crevice in the C-terminal SH2 subdomain, which lacks the canonical phospho-binding pocket of SH2 domains and had previously escaped detection. The tandem SH2 domain is apparently required for transcription elongation in vivo as its deletion in cells is lethal in the presence of 6-azauracil.
More Related Videos
09:26DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation
Published on: December 29, 2021
09:21Saccharomyces cerevisiae Metabolic Labeling with 4-thiouracil and the Quantification of Newly Synthesized mRNA As a Proxy for RNA Polymerase II Activity
Published on: October 22, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Transcription Initiation
The promoters and enhancers and their accessory proteins allow tight regulation of...
General Transcription Factors
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...
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...