The carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the RNA polymerase II (RNApII) largest subunit consists of multiple heptapeptide repeats with the consensus sequence YSPTSPS. Different CTD phosphorylation patterns act as recognition sites for the binding of various messenger RNA processing factors, thereby coupling transcription and mRNA processing. Polyadenylation factors are co-transcriptionally recruited by phosphorylation of CTD serine 2 (ref. 2) and these factors are also required for transcription termination. RNApII transcribes past the poly(A) site, the RNA is cleaved by the polyadenylation machinery, and the RNA downstream of the cleavage site is degraded. Here we show that Rtt103 and the Rat1/Rai1 5' --> 3' exonuclease are localized at 3' ends of protein coding genes. In rat1-1 or rai1Delta cells, RNA 3' to polyadenylation sites is greatly stabilized and termination defects are seen at many genes. These findings support a model in which poly(A) site cleavage and subsequent degradation of the 3'-downstream RNA by Rat1 trigger transcription termination.

The RNA exosome complex is the most versatile RNA-degradation machine in eukaryotes. The exosome has a central role in several aspects of RNA biogenesis, including RNA maturation and surveillance. Moreover, it is emerging as an important player in regulating the expression levels of specific mRNAs in response to environmental cues and during cell differentiation and development. Although the mechanisms by which RNA is targeted to (or escapes from) the exosome are still not fully understood, general principles have begun to emerge, which we discuss in this Review. In addition, we introduce and discuss novel, previously unappreciated functions of the nuclear exosome, including in transcription regulation and in the maintenance of genome stability.

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can terminate transcription via several pathways. To study how a mechanism is chosen, we analyzed recruitment of Nrd1, which cooperates with Nab3 and Sen1 to terminate small nucleolar RNAs and other short RNAs. Budding yeast contains three C-terminal domain (CTD) interaction domain (CID) proteins, which bind the CTD of the Pol II largest subunit. Rtt103 and Pcf11 act in mRNA termination, and both preferentially interact with CTD phosphorylated at Ser2. The crystal structure of the Nrd1 CID shows a fold similar to that of Pcf11, but Nrd1 preferentially binds to CTD phosphorylated at Ser5, the form found proximal to promoters. This indicates why Nrd1 cross-links near 5′ ends of genes and why the Nrd1–Nab3–Sen1 termination pathway acts specifically at short Pol II–transcribed genes. Nrd1 recruitment to genes involves a combination of interactions with CTD and Nab3.

The exosome complex is involved in multiple RNA processing and degradation pathways. How exosome is recruited to particular RNA substrates and then chooses between RNA processing and degradation modes remains unclear. We find that the RNA binding protein Nrd1, complexed with its partners Nab3, Sen1, and cap binding complex, physically interacts with the nuclear form of exosome. Nrd1 stimulates the RNA degradation activity of the exosome in vitro. However, Nrd1 can also block 3' to 5' degradation by the exosome at some Nrd1 binding sites. Nrd1 mutations share some phenotypes with exosome mutants, including increased readthrough transcription from several mRNA and sn/snoRNA genes. Therefore, Nrd1 may recruit exosome to RNA and influence the choice between processing and degradation. Since Nrd1 is known to bind RNA polymerase II and be important for sn/snoRNA 3' end processing, Nrd1 may link transcription and RNA 3' end formation with surveillance by the exosome.

Transcription termination at mRNA genes is linked to polyadenylation. Cleavage at the poly(A) site generates an entry point for the Rat1/Xrn2 exonuclease, which degrades the downstream transcript to promote termination. Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are also transcribed by RNA polymerase II but are not polyadenylated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that polyadenylation factors and Rat1 localize to snoRNA genes, but mutations that disrupt poly(A) site cleavage or Rat1 activity do not lead to termination defects at these genes. Conversely, mutations of Nrd1, Sen1, and Ssu72 affect termination at snoRNAs but not at several mRNA genes. The exosome complex was required for 3' trimming, but not termination, of snoRNAs. Both the mRNA and snoRNA pathways require Pcf11 but show differential effects of individual mutant alleles. These results suggest that in yeast the transcribing RNA polymerase II can choose between two distinct termination mechanisms but keeps both options available during elongation.

The late RNA synthesis in alphavirus-infected cells, generating plus-strand RNAs, takes place on cytoplasmic vacuoles (CPVs), which are modified endosomes and lysosomes. The cytosolic surface of CPVs consists of regular membrane invaginations or spherules, which are the sites of RNA synthesis (P. Kujala, A. Ikähei-monen, N. Ehsani, H. Vihinen, P. Auvinen, and L. Kääriäinen J. Virol. 75:3873-3884, 2001). To understand how CPVs arise, we have expressed the individual Semliki Forest virus (SFV) nonstructural proteins nsP1 to nsP4 in different combinations, as well as their precursor polyprotein P1234 and its cleavage intermediates. A complex of nsPs was obtained from P123 or P1234, indicating that the precursor stage is essential for the assembly of the polymerase complex. To prevent the processing of the polyprotein and its cleavage intermediates, constructs with the mutation C478A (designated with a superscript CA) in the active site of the protease domain of nsP2 were used. Uncleaved polyproteins containing nsP1 were membrane bound and palmitoylated, and those containing nsP3 were phosphorylated, reflecting properties of authentic nsP1 and nsP3, respectively. Similarly, polyproteins containing nsP1 or nsP2 had enzymatic activities specific for the individual proteins, indicating that they were correctly folded in the precursor state. Uncleaved P12 CA was localized almost exclusively to the plasma membrane and filopodia, like nsP1 alone, whereas P12 CA 3 and P12 CA 34 were found on cytoplasmic vesicles, some of which contained late endosomal markers. In immunoelectron microscopy these vesicles resembled CPVs in SFV-infected cells. Our results indicate that the nsP1 domain alone is responsible for the membrane association of the nonstructural polyprotein, whereas the nsP1 domain together with the nsP3 domain targets it to the intracellular vesicles.The alphaviruses replicate in the cytoplasm of both invertebrate and vertebrate cells. The virus enters the cell by adsorptive endocytosis, followed by fusion of the virus envelope with endosomal membranes (34). The virus nucleocapsid is disassembled by ribosomes, which have affinity for the capsid protein (52, 63). The capped positive-strand RNA genome of about 11.5 kb is then translated to yield a polyprotein, P1234, of about 2,500 amino acids (aa), the precursor of nonstructural proteins nsP1 to nsP4. The parental 42S RNA genome is copied to complementary minus-strand RNA by a short-lived RNA polymerase consisting of the catalytic subunit nsP4 and polyprotein P123, the initial cleavage products of P1234 (31, 50). By inhibition of cleavage between nsP2 and nsP3, minusstrand RNA synthesis was demonstrated also to occur by the nsP1-P23-nsP4 combination (30).Early work with Semliki Forest virus (SFV) and Sindbis virus showed that the parental RNA was converted into an RNaseresistant, membrane-associated form soon after infection, suggesting that the synthesis of minus strands takes place in association with membranes (8,12,17). The cellular structures associated with the...

Semliki Forest virus (SFV)1 is member of the Alphavirus genus of the Togaviridae family. SFV has a positive-stranded 42 S RNA genome of 11.5 kilobases. RNA replication of SFV takes place in the cytoplasm and is catalyzed by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which contains the virusspecific proteins Nsp1-4. These are cleavage products of a large (2342 aa) nonstructural polyprotein P1234. In the RNA polymerase complex all Nsps are in close association with each other (1, 2). The parental 42 S RNA is copied to complementary minus-strands, which in turn are used as templates for the synthesis of new 42 S RNA plus-strands and subgenomic 26 S mRNAs. During plus-strand synthesis, the 5Ј ends of the 42 S and 26 S RNAs become modified with covalently attached m 7 GpppA (the cap0 structure) (3-5). Capping of the RNAs is believed to be obligatory also for the replication of Alphavirus, since a point mutation specifically destroying the guanylyltransferase activity of Nsp1 is lethal for the virus (6).The functions of Alphavirus Nsps in replication have been studied using various genetic and biochemical approaches (1, 2). Nsp4 is the catalytic component of the RNA polymerase (7,8), whereas the functions of the phosphoprotein Nsp3 (9) are poorly defined (10, 11). Nsp2 has several distinct functions. It has nucleoside triphosphatase (NTPase) activity at its aminoterminal half (12), which is vital for the virus replication (13). Nsp2 has RNA helicase activity, which utilizes NTP hydrolysis as the energy source (14). The carboxyl-terminal part of the protein is a papain-like protease responsible for the autocatalytic cleavages of the nonstructural polyprotein (2, 15, 16). The carboxyl-terminal part has a nuclear localization sequence, which is responsible for sequestering of about half of the molecules to the nucleus during infection (17, 18). Furthermore, Nsp2 regulates transcription of the subgenomic 26 S RNA (Ref.19 and references therein). Here we show that Nsp2 has yet an additional activity required for capping of the virus mRNAs.Capping of cellular mRNAs occurs in the nucleus and comprises four different reactions. RNA 5Ј-triphosphatase removes the ␥-phosphate from the 5Ј end of the nascent RNA molecule (pppRNA 3 ppRNA). Guanylyltransferase reacts with a GTP molecule to form a covalent complex with GMP, which is then transferred from guanylyltransferase to the 5Ј end of RNA to form G(5Ј)ppp(5Ј)NpRNA. Methylation by guanine-7N-methyltransferase yields an RNA molecule with the cap0 structure (m 7 GpppNpRNA). Further methylation by nucleoside-2Ј-Omethyltransferase of the riboses of the penultimate and the adjacent nucleotides yields cap1 and cap2 structures, respectively (20,21).Unlike cellular mRNAs, the capping of Alphavirus RNAs takes place in the cytoplasm and is carried out by reactions that differ from the nuclear reactions as follows. (i) Nsp1 catalyzes transfer of the methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to GTP to yield m 7 GTP (methyltransferase reaction), and (ii) a covalent guanylate complex Nsp1-m 7 GMP i...

Numerous noncoding transcripts of unknown function have recently been identified. In this study, we report a novel mechanism that relies on transcription of noncoding RNA prt (pho1-repressing transcript) regulating expression of the pho1 gene. A product of this gene, Pho1, is a major secreted phosphatase needed for uptake of extracellular phosphate in fission yeast. prt is produced from the promoter located upstream of the pho1 gene in response to phosphate, and its transcription leads to deposition of RNAi-dependent H3K9me2 across the pho1 locus. In contrast, phosphate starvation leads to loss of H3K9me2 and pho1 induction. Strikingly, deletion of Clr4, a H3K9 methyltransferase, results in faster pho1 induction in response to phosphate starvation. We propose a new role for noncoding transcription in establishing transient heterochromatin to mediate an effective transcriptional response to environmental stimuli. RNAi recruitment to prt depends on the RNA-binding protein Mmi1. Importantly, we found that the exosome complex and Mmi1 are required for transcription termination and the subsequent degradation of prt but not pho1 mRNA. Moreover, in mitotic cells, transcription termination of meiotic RNAs also relies on this mechanism. We propose that exosome-dependent termination constitutes a specialized system that primes transcripts for degradation to ensure their efficient elimination.