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Negative Regulation of Transcription Factors by Srb10 Cyclin-Dependent Kinase

Citation

Chi, Yong (2001) Negative Regulation of Transcription Factors by Srb10 Cyclin-Dependent Kinase. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/tb1q-fz89. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:03072014-113238525

Abstract

The ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway plays an important role in a broad array of cellular processes, inducting cell cycle control and transcription. Biochemical analysis of the ubiquitination of Sic1, the B-type cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor in budding yeast helped to define a ubiquitin ligase complex named SCFcdc4 (for Skp1, Cdc53/cullin, F-box protein). We found that besides Sic1, the CDK inhibitor Far1 and the replication initiation protein Cdc6 are also substrates of SCFcdc4 in vitro. A common feature in the ubiquitination of the cell cycle SCFcdc4 substrates is that they must be phosphorylated by the major cell cycle CDK, Cdc28. Gcn4, a transcription activator involved in the general control of amino acid biosynthesis, is rapidly degraded in an SCFcdc4-dependent manner in vivo. We have focused on this substrate to investigate the generality of the SCFcdc4 pathway. Through biochemical fractionations, we found that the Srb10 CDK phosphorylates Gcn4 and thereby marks it for recognition by SCFcdc4 ubiquitin ligase. Srb10 is a physiological regulator of Gcn4 stability because both phosphorylation and turnover of Gcn4 are diminished in srb10 mutants. Furthermore, we found that at least two different CDKs, Pho85 and Srb10, conspire to promote the rapid degradation of Gcn4 in vivo. The multistress response transcriptional regulator Msn2 is also a substrate for Srb10 and is hyperphosphorylated in an Srb10-dependent manner upon heat stress-induced translocation into the nucleus. Whereas Msn2 is cytoplasmic in resting wild type cells, its nuclear exclusion is partially compromised in srb10 mutant cells. Srb10 has been shown to repress a subset of genes in vivo, and has been proposed to inhibit transcription via phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. Our results suggest a general theme that Srb10 represses the transcription of specific genes by directly antagonizing the transcriptional activators.

Item Type:Thesis (Dissertation (Ph.D.))
Subject Keywords:Biology
Degree Grantor:California Institute of Technology
Division:Biology
Major Option:Biology
Thesis Availability:Public (worldwide access)
Research Advisor(s):
  • Dunphy, William G.
Thesis Committee:
  • Deshaies, Raymond Joseph (chair)
  • Bjorkman, Pamela J.
  • Campbell, Judith L.
  • Dunphy, William G.
  • Wold, Barbara J.
Defense Date:22 May 2001
Record Number:CaltechTHESIS:03072014-113238525
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:03072014-113238525
DOI:10.7907/tb1q-fz89
Default Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:8115
Collection:CaltechTHESIS
Deposited By: Benjamin Perez
Deposited On:07 Mar 2014 22:33
Last Modified:13 Sep 2022 18:36

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