An immunoaffinity purified Schizosaccharomyces pombe TBP-containing complex directs correct initiation of the S-pombe rRNA gene promoter

The multi-protein complex SL1, containing TBP, which is essential for RNA polymerase I catalyzed transcription, has been analyzed in fission yeast. It was immunopurified based on association of component subunits with epitope-tagged TBP. To enable this analysis, a strain of Schizosaccharomyces pombe was created where the only functional TBP coding sequences were those of FLAG-TBP. RNA polymerase I transcription components were fractionated from this strain and the TBP-associated polypeptides were subsequently immunopurified together with the epitope-tagged TBP. An assessment of the activity of this candidate SL1 complex was undertaken cross-species. This fission yeast TBP-containing complex displays two activities in redirecting transcriptional initiation of an S.pombe rDNA gene promoter cross-species in Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription reactions: it both blocks an incorrect transcriptional start site at +7 and directs initiation at the correct site for S.pombe rRNA synthesis. This complex is essential for accurate initiation of the S.pombe rRNA gene: rRNA synthesis is reconstituted when this S.pombe TBP-containing complex is combined with a S.pombe fraction immunodepleted of TBP.