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International Journal of Medical Sciences

Int J Biol Sci 2007; 3:292-302 ©Ivyspring International Publisher

Research Paper

Human Maf1 negatively regulates RNA Polymerase III transcription via the TFIIB family members Brf1 and Brf2

Janet Rollins^{1 *}, Ingrid Veras^{1 *}, Stephanie Cabarcas ¹, Ian Willis², Laura Schramm¹

1. Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Queens NY, USA.
2. Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx NY, USA.
* These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

RNA polymerase III (RNA pol III) transcribes many of the small structural RNA molecules involved in processing and translation, thereby regulating the growth rate of a cell. Initiation of pol III transcription requires the evolutionarily conserved pol III initiation factor TFIIIB. TFIIIB is the molecular target of regulation by tumor suppressors, including p53, RB and the RB-related pocket proteins. However, our understanding of negative regulation of human TFIIIB-mediated transcription by other proteins is limited. In this study we characterize a RNA pol III luciferase assay and further demonstrate in vivo that a human homolog of yeast Maf1 represses RNA pol III transcription. Additionally, we show that Maf1 repression of RNA pol III transcription occurs via TFIIIB, specifically through the TFIIB family members Brf1 and Brf2.

Keywords: RNA polymerase III, TFIIIB, Maf1, Brf2