Growth signals employ CGGBP1 to suppress transcription of Alu-SINEs [Affymetrix]

Alu SINEs are the most numerous frequently occurring transcription units in our genome and possess sequence competence for transcription by RNA Pol III. However, through poorly understood mechanisms, the Alu RNA levels are maintained at very low levels in normal somatic cells with obvious benefits of low rates of Alu retrotransposition and energy-economical deployment of RNA Pol III to the tRNA genes which share promoter structure and polymerase requirements with Alu SINEs. Using comparative ChIP sequencing, we unveil that a repeat binding protein, CGGBP1, binds to the transcriptional regulatory regions of Alu SINEs thereby impeding Alu transcription by inhibiting RNA Pol III recruitment. We show that this Alu-silencing depends on growth factor stimulation of cells and subsequent tyrosine phosphorylation of CGGBP1. Importantly, CGGBP1 ensures a sequence-specific discriminative inhibition of RNA Pol III activity at Alu promoters, while sparing the structurally similar tRNA promoters. Our data suggest that CGGBP1 contributes to growth-related transcription by preventing the hijacking of RNA Pol III by Alu SINEs.

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Agarwal P, Enroth S, Teichmann M, Jernberg Wiklund H, Smit A, Westermark B, Singh U