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Structural biology of mammalian transcription regulation

Objective

The regulation of gene transcription by RNA polymerase (Pol) II underlies cell differentiation and organism development, and its dysregulation causes many cancers. Transcription regulation occurs during initiation, when Pol II assembles with initiation factors on promoter DNA, but also during mRNA chain elongation, when Pol II pauses near the promoter before it restarts upon activation. Our previous ERC Advanced Grant ‘TRANSIT’ enabled us to provide molecular insights into yeast Pol II initiation and its regulation by the Mediator coactivator complex (Plaschka et al., Nature 2015; Sainsbury et al., Nature 2012, Lariviere et al, Nature 2012). Here, with our new proposal ‘TRANSREGULON’ we wish to open a new frontier and provide the structural basis for mammalian Pol II regulation during elongation. We will use an integrated structural biology approach combining X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and crosslinking, to obtain the first atomic structure of a mammalian Pol II enzyme (aim 1), the structure of the negative elongation factor NELF (aim 2), which is required for promoter-proximal pausing by mammalian Pol II, and the threedimensional architecture of the promoter-proximally paused Pol II complex (aim 3) containing the multiprotein pausing factors NELF and DSIF, and eventually also the pause release factor p-TEFb. This ground-breaking work will make the transition from yeast to human structural biology of transcription, will provide the molecular basis for a central mechanism of cellular regulation, and will advance structural biology methods for dissecting large and transient mammalian multicomponent complexes.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2015-AdG

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Host institution

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 496 250,00
Address
HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 496 250,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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