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