Autologous K63 deubiquitylation within the BRCA1-A complex licenses DNA damage recognition.

The BRCA1-A complex contains matching lysine-63 ubiquitin (K63-Ub) binding and deubiquitylating activities. How these functionalities are coordinated to effectively respond to DNA damage remains unknown. We generated Brcc36 deubiquitylating enzyme (DUB) inactive mice to address this gap in knowledge in a physiologic system.

Mechanisms of mitochondrial promoter recognition in humans and other mammalian species.

Recognition of mammalian mitochondrial promoters requires the concerted action of mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) and transcription initiation factors TFAM and TFB2M. In this work, we found that transcript slippage results in heterogeneity of the human mitochondrial transcripts in vivo and in vitro. This allowed us to correctly interpret the RNAseq data, identify the bona fide transcription start sites (TSS), and assign mitochondrial promoters for > 50% of mammalian species and some other vertebrates.

Structural Basis of Mitochondrial Transcription Initiation.

Transcription in human mitochondria is driven by a single-subunit, factor-dependent RNA polymerase (mtRNAP). Despite its critical role in both expression and replication of the mitochondrial genome, transcription initiation by mtRNAP remains poorly understood. Here, we report crystal structures of human mitochondrial transcription initiation complexes assembled on both light and heavy strand promoters.

Mechanism of Transcription Anti-termination in Human Mitochondria.

In human mitochondria, transcription termination events at a G-quadruplex region near the replication origin are thought to drive replication of mtDNA by generation of an RNA primer. This process is suppressed by a key regulator of mtDNA-the transcription factor TEFM. We determined the structure of an anti-termination complex in which TEFM is bound to transcribing mtRNAP.

Human Mitochondrial Transcription Initiation Complexes Have Similar Topology on the Light and Heavy Strand Promoters.

Transcription is a highly regulated process in all domains of life. In human mitochondria, transcription of the circular genome involves only two promoters, called light strand promoter (LSP) and heavy strand promoter (HSP), located in the opposite DNA strands. Initiation of transcription occurs upon sequential assembly of an initiation complex that includes mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) and the initiation factors mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and TFB2M.

A model for transcription initiation in human mitochondria.

Regulation of transcription of mtDNA is thought to be crucial for maintenance of redox potential and vitality of the cell but is poorly understood at the molecular level. In this study we mapped the binding sites of the core transcription initiation factors TFAM and TFB2M on human mitochondrial RNA polymerase, and interactions of the latter with promoter DNA. This allowed us to construct a detailed structural model, which displays a remarkable level of interaction between the components of the initiation complex (IC).

Mitochondrial biology. Replication-transcription switch in human mitochondria.

Coordinated replication and expression of the mitochondrial genome is critical for metabolically active cells during various stages of development. However, it is not known whether replication and transcription can occur simultaneously without interfering with each other and whether mitochondrial DNA copy number can be regulated by the transcription machinery. We found that interaction of human transcription elongation factor TEFM with mitochondrial RNA polymerase and nascent transcript prevents the generation of replication primers and increases transcription processivity and thereby serves as a molecular switch between replication and transcription, which appear to be mutually exclusive processes in mitochondria.

A novel intermediate in transcription initiation by human mitochondrial RNA polymerase.

The mitochondrial genome is transcribed by a single-subunit T7 phage-like RNA polymerase (mtRNAP), structurally unrelated to cellular RNAPs. In higher eukaryotes, mtRNAP requires two transcription factors for efficient initiation-TFAM, a major nucleoid protein, and TFB2M, a transient component of mtRNAP catalytic site. The mechanisms behind assembly of the mitochondrial transcription machinery and its regulation are poorly understood.

Structure of human mitochondrial RNA polymerase elongation complex.

Here we report the crystal structure of the human mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) transcription elongation complex, determined at 2.65-Å resolution. The structure reveals a 9-bp hybrid formed between the DNA template and the RNA transcript and one turn of DNA both upstream and downstream of the hybrid.

Phosphorylation of human TFAM in mitochondria impairs DNA binding and promotes degradation by the AAA+ Lon protease.

Human mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is a high-mobility group (HMG) protein at the nexus of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication, transcription, and inheritance. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying its posttranslational regulation. Here, we demonstrate that TFAM is phosphorylated within its HMG box 1 (HMG1) by cAMP-dependent protein kinase in mitochondria.

Structure of human mitochondrial RNA polymerase.

Transcription of the mitochondrial genome is performed by a single-subunit RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) that is distantly related to the RNAP of bacteriophage T7, the pol I family of DNA polymerases, and single-subunit RNAPs from chloroplasts. Whereas T7 RNAP can initiate transcription by itself, mtRNAP requires the factors TFAM and TFB2M for binding and melting promoter DNA. TFAM is an abundant protein that binds and bends promoter DNA 15-40 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site, and stimulates the recruitment of mtRNAP and TFB2M to the promoter.