Xrn2 substrate mapping identifies torpedo loading sites and extensive premature termination of RNA pol II transcription

The exonuclease torpedo Xrn2 loads onto nascent RNA 5'-PO4 ends and chases down pol II to promote termination downstream of polyA sites. We report that Xrn2 is recruited to pre-initiation complexes and “travels” to 3' ends of genes. Mapping of 5'-PO4 ends in nascent RNA identified Xrn2 loading sites stabilized by an active site mutant, Xrn2(D235A). Xrn2 loading sites are ~2-20 bases downstream of where CPSF73 cleaves at polyA sites and histone 3' ends. We propose that processing of all mRNA 3' ends comprises cleavage and limited 5'-3' trimming by CPSF73 followed by hand-off to Xrn2. A similar hand-off occurs at tRNA 3' ends where co-transcriptional RNAseZ cleavage generates novel Xrn2 substrates. Exonuclease-dead Xrn2 increased transcription in 3' flanking regions by inhibiting polyA site-dependent termination. Surprisingly, the mutant Xrn2 also rescued transcription in promoter-proximal regions to the same extent as in 3' flanking regions. eNET-seq revealed Xrn2-mediated degradation of sense and anti-sense nascent RNA within a few bases of the TSS where 5'-PO4 ends may be generated by decapping or endonucleolytic cleavage. These results suggest that a major fraction of pol II complexes terminate prematurely close to the start site under normal conditions by an Xrn2-mediated torpedo mechanism. Overall design: ChIP-seq of Xrn2 under various conditions in human and Drosophila cells, nascent RNA-seq in human cells expressing WT and exonuclease dead Xrn2