Leading role of TBP in the Establishment of Complexity in Eukaryotic Transcription Initiation Systems

Abstract

While both archaeal and eukaryotic transcription initiation systems utilize TBP (TATA box-binding protein) and TFIIB (transcription factor IIB), eukaryotic systems include larger numbers of initiation factors. It remains uncertain how eukaryotic transcription initiation systems have evolved. Here, we investigate the evolutionary development of TBP and TFIIB, each of which has an intramolecular direct repeat, using two evolutionary indicators. Inter-repeat sequence dissimilarity (dDR, distance between direct repeats) indicates that the asymmetry of two repeats in TBP and TFIIB has gradually increased during evolution. Interspecies sequence diversity (PD, phylogenetic diversity) indicates that the resultant asymmetric structure, which is related to the ability to interact with multiple factors, diverged in archaeal TBP and archaeal/eukaryotic TFIIB during evolution. Our findings suggest that eukaryotic TBP initially acquired multiple Eukarya-specific interactors through asymmetric evolution of the two repeats. After the asymmetric TBP generated the complexity of the eukaryotic transcription initiation systems, its diversification halted and its asymmetric structure spread throughout eukaryotic species.