Genetic analysis of P-TEFb function via heterologous nucleic acid tethering systems

摘要

Recent global organismal analyses demonstrated that transcription elongation control is a common feature in eukaryotes. One of the factors central to this type of control is the positive transcription elongation factor P-TEFb. P-TEFb is a cyclin-dependent kinase, which controls the fraction of RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) that can enter productive elongation. While the biochemical properties of P-TEFb and its associated factors have been characterized extensively in vitro, its function in vivo remains less well understood. In this manuscript, we describe various heterologous nucleic acid tethering systems that can be used to examine transcription factors that function via P-TEFb.