This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Prather, D. Articles by Winston, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Prather, D. Articles by Winston, F.

Identification and Characterization of Elf1, a Conserved Transcription Elongation Factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115,¹ Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1L6,² Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8³

Received 1 August 2005/ Returned for modification 19 August 2005/ Accepted 24 August 2005

In order to identify previously unknown transcription elongation factors, a genetic screen was carried out to identify mutations that cause lethality when combined with mutations in the genes encoding the elongation factors TFIIS and Spt6. This screen identified a mutation in YKL160W, hereafter named ELF1 (elongation factor 1). Further analysis identified synthetic lethality between an elf1 mutation and mutations in genes encoding several known elongation factors, including Spt4, Spt5, Spt6, and members of the Paf1 complex. Genome-wide synthetic lethality studies confirmed that elf1 specifically interacts with mutations in genes affecting transcription elongation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that Elf1 is cotranscriptionally recruited over actively transcribed regions and that this association is partially dependent on Spt4 and Spt6. Analysis of elf1 mutants suggests a role for this factor in maintaining proper chromatin structure in regions of active transcription. Finally, purification of Elf1 suggests an association with casein kinase II, previously implicated in roles in transcription. Together, these results suggest an important role for Elf1 in the regulation of transcription elongation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Nyswaner, K. M., Checkley, M. A., Yi, M., Stephens, R. M., Garfinkel, D. J. (2008). Chromatin-Associated Genes Protect the Yeast Genome From Ty1 Insertional Mutagenesis. Genetics 178: 197-214 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gendra, E., Colgan, D. F., Meany, B., Konarska, M. M. (2007). A Sequence Motif in the Simian Virus 40 (SV40) Early Core Promoter Affects Alternative Splicing of Transcribed mRNA. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 11648-11657 [Abstract] [Full Text]