Identification of human RNA Polymerase II interactors at early stages of transcription

RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) transcription is highly regulated at two early steps in the transcription cycle: Pre-Initiation Complex (PIC) assembly with its coupled initiation, and promoter-proximal pausing with its controlled release. Here, we developed an optimized biochemical purification method that captures endogenously tagged chromatin-bound Pol II complexes under native conditions at these rate-limiting steps. We then identified a large set of Pol II interactors by mass spectrometry and determined the footprints of these assemblies on promoters with high resolution. Many well-known and new or understudied factors were identified as associated with the PIC and promoter-proximal paused complexes, indicating that despite decades of efforts, these rate-limiting steps of the transcription cycle are far from being completely understood. The new and understudied factors implicate novel mechanisms of regulation that will need to be characterized to fully understand Pol II regulation.