A gene-specific effect of an internal deletion in the Bdp1 subunit of the RNA polymerase III transcription initiation factor TFIIIB.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RPR1 gene encodes the RNA subunit of its RNase P, which processes RNA polymerase (pol) III primary transcripts. RPR1, which is transcribed by pol III, has been isolated as a multicopy suppressor of a specific small internal deletion (amino acids 253-269) in the Bdp1 subunit of transcription factor TFIIIB, the core pol III transcription factor. The selective effect of this Bdp1 deletion on RPR1 transcription has been analyzed in vitro. It is shown that TFIIIC-dependent assembly of TFIIIB on the RPR1 promoter is specifically sensitive to this Bdp1 deletion, leading to gene-specifically defective single-round and multiple-round transcription.