The C-Terminal Domain of the Largest Subunit of RNA Polymerase II and Transcription Initiation

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies specific for the evolutionarily conserved C-terminal heptapeptide repeat domain of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase Π inhibited the initiation of transcription from mammalian promoters in vitro. Since these antibodies did not inhibit elongation and randomly initiated transcription, the heptapeptide repeats may function by binding class Π transcription initiation factor(s).