RNA pol II Dynamics Modulate Co-transcriptional Chromatin Modification, CTD phosphorylation and transcriptional direction

Using pol II mutants in human cells we found that slow transcription repositioned specific co-transcriptionally deposited chromatin modifications; H3K36me3 shifted within genes toward 5' ends and H3K4me2 extended further upstream of start sites. Slow transcription also evoked a hyperphosphorylation of CTD Ser2 residues at 5' ends of genes that is conserved in yeast. We propose a “dwell-time in the target zone” model to explain the effects of transcriptional dynamics on establishment of co-transcriptionally deposited protein modifications. Promoter-proximal Ser2 phosphorylation is associated with longer pol II dwell time at start sites and reduced transcriptional polarity due to strongly enhanced divergent antisense transcription at promoters. Overall design: The effect of transcription elongation rate on histone H3K36me3, H3K4me2 and pol II CTD phosphorylation was analyzed by ChIP-seq in isogenic human HEK293 cell lines that inducibly express a-amanitin resistant mutants of the RNA polymerase II large subunit with slow elongation rates. Anti-pol II total nascent RNA sequencing (tNET-seq) was developed to assay transcription by WT and slow pol II. Slow pol II mutants in S. cerevisiae were also assayed for pol II CTD Ser2 phosphorylation.