Structural and functional studies on the negative elongation factor

Pöllmann, David (2015): Structural and functional studies on the negative elongation factor. Dissertation, LMU München: Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy

Abstract

In many metazoans RNA polymerase II is stably paused after transcribing 20-60 nucleotides of a gene and awaits controlled release. The four subunit Negative Elongation Factor (NELF) is essential to this process which is called promoter-proximal pausing. In this work, a highly conserved NELF subcomplex consisting of NELF-A (6-188) and NELF-C (183-590) was identified, crystallized and its structure solved to 2.8 Å resolution. Further, a novel sequence dependent interaction of NELF-AC with single-stranded nucleic acids was discovered and the architecture of the complete NELF complex elucidated by crosslinking coupled with mass-spectrometry. The results suggest a possible model for NELF action at the molecular level.

• Item Type: Theses (Dissertation, LMU Munich)
• Keywords: NELF, Negative Elongation Factor, promoter-proximal pausing, transcription, structural biology
• Subjects: 500 Natural sciences and mathematics; 500 Natural sciences and mathematics > 540 Chemistry and allied sciences
• Faculties: Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
• Language: English
• Date of oral examination: 30. September 2015
• 1. Referee: Cramer, Patrick
• Signature of the printed copy: 0001/UMC 24023