Esc2 and Rad57 contribute to RNA polymerase II distribution at highly transcribed genes

Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) must be tightly regulated to maintain gene expression homeostasis, yet how Pol II occupancy is shaped at highly active genes remains incompletely understood. Here, we examine the relationship between the homologous recombination-related factors Esc2 and Rad57 and Pol II distribution in budding yeast. Genome-wide analyses reveal that Esc2 and Rad57 preferentially associate with the gene bodies of highly transcribed housekeeping genes and are linked to a chromatin context that also includes the protein phosphatase Sit4 and its cofactor Rrd1. Loss of Esc2 and Rad57 is accompanied by increased Pol II occupancy within gene bodies, whereas the effect on steady-state RNA abundance is selective rather than uniform. Under the tested anchor-away conditions, acute Rad57 depletion in an esc2Δ background did not fully recapitulate the broader transcriptome imbalance and impaired growth observed after chronic Esc2/Rad57 loss. Together, our findings reveal an association between recombination-related factors and gene-body Pol II occupancy and suggest that Esc2/Rad57 loss is linked to transcription-associated chromatin changes in yeast.