Abstract
High levels of RNA polymerase III gene transcription are achieved by facilitated recycling of the polymerase on transcription factor IIIB (TFIIIB)-DNA complexes that are stable through multiple rounds of initiation. TFIIIB-DNA complexes in yeast comprise the TATA-binding protein (TBP), the TFIIB-related factor TFIIIB70, and TFIIIB90. The high stability of the TFIIIB-DNA complex is conferred by TFIIIB90 binding to TFIIIB70-TBP-DNA complexes. This stability is thought to result from compound bends introduced in the DNA by TBP and TFIIIB90 and by protein-protein interactions that obstruct DNA dissociation. Here we present biochemical evidence that the high stability of TFIIIB-DNA complexes results from kinetic trapping of the DNA. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the free energies of formation of TFIIIB70-TBP-DNA (ΔG° = -12.10 ± 0.12 kcal/mol) and TFIIIB-DNA (ΔG° = -11.90 ± 0.14 kcal/mol) complexes are equivalent whereas a kinetic analysis shows that the half-lives of these complexes (46 ± 3 min and 95 ± 6 min, respectively) differ significantly. The differential stability of these isoenergetic complexes demonstrates that TFIIIB90 binding energy is used to drive conformational changes and increase the barrier to complex dissociation.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 9581-9586 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 98 |
Issue number | 17 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 14 2001 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General