The role of Nrd1-Nab3 complex in transcription termination

F. Hóbor¹, R. Pergoli¹, V. Bacikova¹, K. Kubicek¹, M. Zimmerman², J. Pasulka¹, R. Stefl¹

¹National Centre for Biomolecular Research and ²Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno

Biogenesis of functional RNAs, such as small nuclear and small nucleolar RNAs, intergenic and anti-sense RNAs, involves different factors than those used at biogenesis of messenger RNA. Termination of these functional transcripts requires the nuclear pre-mRNA down- regulation (Nrd)1, the nuclear polyadenylated RNA-binding (Nab)3 proteins, and the RNA helicase Sen1. Nrd1 complex and associated factors initiate transcription termination despite of early elongation phase of transcription cycle of RNA polymerase II. To fully understand the structural basis behind this mechanism, we use multidimensional NMR spectroscopy to determine the three- dimensional structures of important components involved in this mechanism and their complexes with the termination elements that are present in the nascent transcript.