IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-024-55553-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Structural insights into distinct mechanisms of RNA polymerase II and III recruitment to snRNA promoters

Author

Listed:
  • Syed Zawar Shah

    (Human Technopole)

  • Thomas N. Perry

    (Human Technopole)

  • Andrea Graziadei

    (Human Technopole)

  • Valentina Cecatiello

    (Human Technopole)

  • Thangavelu Kaliyappan

    (Institute of Cancer Research)

  • Agata D. Misiaszek

    (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
    Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research)

  • Christoph W. Müller

    (European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL))

  • Ewan P. Ramsay

    (Human Technopole)

  • Alessandro Vannini

    (Human Technopole)

Abstract

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcribes short, essential RNAs, including the U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA). At U6 snRNA genes, Pol III is recruited by the snRNA Activating Protein Complex (SNAPc) and a Brf2-containing TFIIIB complex, forming a pre-initiation complex (PIC). Uniquely, SNAPc also recruits Pol II at the remaining splicesosomal snRNA genes (U1, 2, 4 and 5). The mechanism of SNAPc cross-polymerase engagement and the role of the SNAPC2 and SNAPC5 subunits remain poorly defined. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of the full-length SNAPc-containing Pol III PIC assembled on the U6 snRNA promoter in the open and melting states at 3.2–4.2 Å resolution. The structural comparison revealed differences with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pol III PIC and the basis of selective SNAPc engagement within Pol III and Pol II PICs. Additionally, crosslinking mass spectrometry localizes SNAPC2 and SNAPC5 near the promoter DNA, expanding upon existing descriptions of snRNA Pol III PIC structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Syed Zawar Shah & Thomas N. Perry & Andrea Graziadei & Valentina Cecatiello & Thangavelu Kaliyappan & Agata D. Misiaszek & Christoph W. Müller & Ewan P. Ramsay & Alessandro Vannini, 2025. "Structural insights into distinct mechanisms of RNA polymerase II and III recruitment to snRNA promoters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-55553-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55553-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55553-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-55553-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-55553-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.