Charli Fant

RNAPII regulation by Mediator and the CDK8 module

At a majority of genes in human cells, RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) will initiate transcription and “escape” the promoter, but the gene will not be transcribed because RNAPII will “pause” shortly after promoter escape (typically 40-60 bp downstream of the transcription start site). How RNAPII promoter escape (an early stage of transcription) and RNAPII pausing (a later stage) are regulated remain incompletely understood. In our lab, we are interested in investigating the roles of the CDK8 module or CDK8-Mediator in these processes. Previous work implicates the CDK8 module (CDK8, CCNC, MED12, and MED13) in the regulation of RNAPII pausing and/or elongation. I am currently working to uncover the molecular mechanisms by which the CDK8 module regulates RNAPII activity using an in vitro transcription system and cellular assays.  

Publications:

Fant, CB; Taatjes, DJ. Regulatory functions of the Mediator kinases CDK8 and CDK19. Transcription 2019, 10: In Press.

Boija, A; Klein, IA; Sabari, BR; Dall'Agnese, A; Coffey, EL; Zamudio, AV; Li, CH; Shrinivas, K; Manteiga, J; Hannett, NM; Abraham, BJ; Schuijers, J; Afeyan, L; Guo, YE; Rimel, JK; Fant, CB; Lee, TI; Taatjes, DJ;* Young, RA.* Transcription factors activate genes through the phase separation capacity of their activation domains. Cell 2018, 175: PMID 30449618.

Fant, CB; Taatjes DJ. All in the family: A portrait of a nuclear receptor co-activator complex.  Mol Cell  2015, 57: 952 – 954.  [PMID: 25794613]