KAP1 Recruitment of the 7SK snRNP to Promoters Enables Transcription Elongation by RNA Polymerase II

The transition from transcription initiation into elongation at promoters of primary response genes (PRG) in metazoan cells is controlled by inducible transcription factors, which utilize P-TEFb to phosphorylate RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) in response to stimuli. Prior to stimulation, a fraction of P-TEFb is recruited to promoters in a catalytically inactive state bound to the 7SK small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP). However, it remains unclear how and why the 7SK snRNP is assembled at promoters. Here we report that the transcriptional regulator KAP1 directly recruits the 7SK snRNP to facilitate localized release of P-TEFb, promoting rapid Pol II elongation and PRG synthesis in response to stimuli. Collectively, we have discovered and characterized a novel complex, which we term the KEC, which dictates rapid and robust PRG induction upon stimuli. Overall design: KAP1, 7SK snRNP and Pol II at human genes