The FCP1 phosphatase interacts with RNA polymerase II and with MEP50 a component of the methylosome complex involved in the assembly of snRNP

• Published in: Nucleic acids research Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 999 - 1005
• Main Authors: Licciardo, Paolo, Amente, Stefano, Ruggiero, Luca, Monti, Maria, Pucci, Piero, Lania, Luigi, Majello, Barbara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.02.2003; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Cell Line; Humans; Macromolecular Substances; Methylation; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases - metabolism; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases - physiology; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear - biosynthesis; Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear - metabolism; RNA Polymerase II - chemistry; RNA Polymerase II - metabolism; Spliceosomes - chemistry
• ISSN: 0305-1048; 1362-4962; 1362-4962
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkg197

RNA polymerase II transcription is associated with cyclic phosphorylation of the C‐terminal domain (CTD) of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II. To date, FCP1 is the only specific CTD phosphatase, which is required for general transcription and cell viability. To identify FCP1‐associated proteins, we constructed a human cell line expressing epitope‐tagged FCP1. In addition to RAP74, a previously identified FCP1 interacting factor, we determined that FCP1‐affinity purified extracts contain RNAPII that has either a hyper‐ or a hypo‐phosphorylated CTD. In addition, by mass spectrometry of affinity purified FCP1‐associated factors, we identified a novel FCP1‐interacting protein, named MEP50, a recently described component of the methylosome complex that binds to the snRNP’s Sm proteins. We found that FCP1 specifically interacts with components of the spliceosomal U small nuclear ribonucleoproteins. These results suggest a putative role of FCP1 CTD‐phosphatase in linking the transcription elongation with the splicing process.