Integrator-Dependent and Allosteric/Intrinsic Mechanisms Ensure Efficient Termination of snRNA Transcription

Abstract

Many RNA polymerases terminate transcription using allosteric/intrinsic mechanisms, whereby protein alterations or nucleotide sequences promote their release from DNA. RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is somewhat different based on its behavior at protein-coding genes where termination additionally requires endoribonucleolytic cleavage and subsequent 5'→3' exoribonuclease activity. The Pol-II-transcribed small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) also undergo endoribonucleolytic cleavage by the Integrator complex, which promotes their transcriptional termination. Here, we confirm the involvement of Integrator but show that Integrator-independent processes can terminate snRNA transcription both in its absence and naturally. This is often associated with exosome degradation of snRNA precursors that long-read sequencing analysis reveals as frequently terminating at T-runs located downstream of some snRNAs. This finding suggests a unifying vulnerability of RNA polymerases to such sequences given their well-known roles in terminating Pol III and bacterial RNA polymerase.