Abstract
Cell cycle control is vital for cell proliferation in all eukaryotic organisms. The entire cell cycle can be conceptually separated into four distinct phases, Gap 1 (G1), DNA synthesis (S), G2, and mitosis (M), which progress sequentially. The precise control of transcription, in particular, at the G1 to S and G2 to M transitions, is crucial for the synthesis of many phase-specific proteins, to ensure orderly progression throughout the cell cycle. This mini-review highlights highly conserved transcriptional regulators that are shared in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Arabidopsis thaliana model plant, and humans, which have been separated for more than a billion years of evolution. These include structurally and/or functionally conserved regulators cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD) phosphatases, and the classical versus shortcut models of Pol II transcriptional control. A few of CDKs and CTD phosphatases counteract to control the Pol II CTD Ser phosphorylation codes and are considered critical regulators of Pol II transcriptional process from initiation to elongation and termination. The functions of plant-unique CDKs and CTD phosphatases in relation to cell division are also briefly summarized. Future studies towards testing a cooperative transcriptional mechanism, which is proposed here and involves sequence-specific transcription factors and the shortcut model of Pol II CTD code modulation, across the three eukaryotic kingdoms will reveal how individual organisms achieve the most productive, large-scale transcription of phase-specific genes required for orderly progression throughout the entire cell cycle.
Highlights
The control of cell cycle is a vital process for cell proliferation in all eukaryotic organisms
A few of the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are involved in phosphorylation of Ser residues at the polymerase II (Pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD), which is opposed by several CTD phosphatases
Three aspects of functional conservation for CDK and CTD phosphatases are discussed: Conserved CDKs in cell cycle and transcription, common substrates RB and E2F, and pathways leading to Pol II CTD Ser phosphorylation
Summary
The control of cell cycle is a vital process for cell proliferation in all eukaryotic organisms. Their catalytic function requires an association with multiple cyclins, which act as a regulatory sub- In this mini-review, I will first summarize the conserved features in cell cycle transcriptional control across the three eukaryotic kingdoms, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia, Fungi, by highlighting some of the most important findings from studies of budding yeast, Arabidopsis plants, and human. These include CDKs, CTD phosphatases, and Pol II transcription regulated by these protein kinases and phosphatases. The precise timing of cell cycle-dependent transcription can be achieved to ensure the orderly progression of various phases in the cell cycle
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