Cpd Damage Recognition by Transcribing RNA Polymerase II
Brueckner, F., Hennecke, U., Carell, T., Cramer, P.(2007) Science 315: 859
- PubMed: 17290000 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1135400
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
2JA5, 2JA6, 2JA7, 2JA8 - PubMed Abstract: 
Cells use transcription-coupled repair (TCR) to efficiently eliminate DNA lesions such as ultraviolet light-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). Here we present the structure-based mechanism for the first step in eukaryotic TCR, CPD-induced stalling of RNA polymerase (Pol) II. A CPD in the transcribed strand slowly passes a translocation barrier and enters the polymerase active site. The CPD 5'-thymine then directs uridine misincorporation into messenger RNA, which blocks translocation. Artificial replacement of the uridine by adenosine enables CPD bypass; thus, Pol II stalling requires CPD-directed misincorporation. In the stalled complex, the lesion is inaccessible, and the polymerase conformation is unchanged. This is consistent with nonallosteric recruitment of repair factors and excision of a lesion-containing DNA fragment in the presence of Pol II.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science CiPS, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany.