Publications
Cozzolino, K; Sanford, L; Hunter, S; Molison, K; Erickson, B; Jones, T; Courvan, MCS; Ajit, D; Galbraith, MG; Espinosa, JM; Bentley, DL; Allen, MA; Dowell, RD; Taatjes, DJ. Mediator kinase inhibition suppresses hyperactive interferon signaling in Down syndrome. eLife 2024, 13: RP100197.
Maia-Silva, D; Cuniff, PJ; Schier, AC; Skopelitis, D; Trousdell, MC; Moresco, P; Gao, Y; Kechejian, V; He, XY; Sahin, Y; Wan, L; Alpsoy, A; Liverpool, J; Krainer, AR; Egeblad, M; Spector, DL; Fearon, DT; Dos Santos, CO; Taatjes, DJ; Vakoc, CR. Interaction between MED12 and DNp63 activates basal identity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Nat Genet 2024, 56: 1377 - 1385.
Nussbaum, DP; Martz, CA; Waters, AM; Barrera, A; Rutter, JC; Cerda-Smith CG; Stewart, AE; Wu, C; Cakir, M; Levandowski, CB; Kantrowitz, DE; McCall, SJ; Pierobon, M; Petricoin, EF; Smith, JJ; Reddy, TE; Der, C; Taatjes, DJ; Wood, KC. Mediator kinase inhibition impedes transcriptional plasticity and prevents resistance to ERK/MAPK-targeted therapy in KRAS-mutant cancers. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024, 8: 124.
Richter, WF; Taatjes, DJ. Changing structures, changing paradigms: NELF helps regulate paused or elongating RNA polymerase II.Mol Cell 2024, 84: 1180 - 1182.
Johnson, JL; Yaron, TM; Huntsman, EM; Kerelsky, A; Song, J; Regev, A; Lin, T-Y; Liberatore, K; Cizin, DM; Cohen, BM; Vasan, N; Ma, Y; Krismer, K; Torres Robles, J; van de Kooij, B; van Klimmeren, AE; Andree-Busch, N; Kaufer, N; Dorovkov, MV; Ryazanov, AG; Takagi, Y; Kastenhuber, ER; Goncalves, MD; Hopkins, BD; Elemento, O; Taatjes, DJ; Maucuer, A; Yamashita, A; Degterev, A; Linding, R; Blenis, J; Hornbeck, PV; Turk, BE; Yaffe, MB; Cantley, LC. A global atlas of substrate specificities for the human serine/threonine kinome. Nature 2023, 613: 759 - 766.
Nayak, S; Taatjes DJ. SnapShot: Mediator Complex Structure. Cell 2022, 185: 3458.
Bassett, J; Rimel, JK; Basu, S; Basnet, P; Luo, J; Engel, KL; Nagel, MT; Woyciehowsky, A; Ebmeier, CC; Kaplan, CD; Taatjes, DJ; Ranish, JA. Systematic mutagenesis of TFIIH subunit p52/Tfb2 identifies residues required for XPB/Ssl2 subunit function and genetic interactions with TFB6. J Biol Chem 2022, 102433.
Clopper, KC; Taatjes, DJ. Chemical inhibitors of transcription-associated kinases. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022, 70: 102186.
Richter, WF; Nayak, S; Iwasa, J; Taatjes, DJ. The Mediator complex as a master regulator of transcription by RNA polymerase II. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2022, 23: 732 - 749.
Allen, BL; Quach, K; Jones, T; Levandowski, CB; Ebmeier, CC; Rubin, JD; Read, T; Dowell, RD; Schepartz, A*; Taatjes, DJ*. Suppression of p53 response by targeting p53–Mediator binding with a stapled peptide. Cell Rep 2022, 39: 110630.
Luyties, O; Taatjes, DJ. The Mediator kinase module: an interface between cell signaling and transcription. Trends Biochem Sci 2022, 47: 314 - 327.
Palacio, M; Taatjes DJ. Merging established mechanisms with new insights: Condensates, hubs, and the regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription. J Mol Biol 2022, 433: 167216.
Levandowski, CB; Jones, T; Gruca, M; Ramamoorthy, S; Dowell, RD;* Taatjes, DJ.* The ∆40p53 isoform inhibits p53-dependent eRNA transcription and enables regulation by signal-specific transcription factors during p53 activation. PLoS Biol 2021, 19: e3001364.
Schier, AC; Taatjes, DJ. Everything at once: Cryo-EM yields remarkable insights about human RNA polymerase II transcription. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2021, 28: 540 - 543.
Rubin, JD; Stanley, JT; Sigauke, RS; Levandowski, CB; Maas, ZL; Westfall, J; Taatjes, DJ; Dowell, RD. Transcription factor enrichment analysis (TFEA) quantifies the activity of multiple transcription factors from a single experiment. Commun Biol 2021, 4: 661.
Taatjes, DJ. RNA polymerase II transcription. J Mol Biol 2021, 433: 167037.
Tomko, EJ; Luyties, O; Rimel, JK; Tsai, C; Fuss, JO; Fishburn, J; Hahn, S; Tsutakawa, SE; Taatjes, DJ; Galburt, EA. The role of XPB/Ssl2 dsDNA translocation processivity in transcription start-site scanning. J Mol Biol 2021; 433: 166813.
Rimel, JK; Poss, ZC; Erickson, B; Maas, ZL; Ebmeier, CC; Johnson, JL; Decker, T-M; Yaron, TM; Bradley, MJ; Hamman, KB; Hu, S; Malojcic, G; Marineau, JJ; White, PW; Brault, M.; Tao, L.; DeRoy, P; Clavette, C; Nayak, S; Damon, LJ; Kaltheuner, IH; Bunch, H; Cantley, LC; Geyer, M; Iwasa, J; Dowell, RD; Bentley, DL; Old WM;* Taatjes, DJ.* Selective inhibition of CDK7 reveals high-confidence targets and novel mechanisms for TFIIH function in transcription. Genes Dev 2020; 34: 1452 – 1473.
Klein, IA; Boija, A; Afeyan, LK; Hawken, SW; Fan, M; Dall’Agnese, A; Oksuz, O; Henninger, JE; Shrinivas, K; Sabari, BR; Sagi, I; Clark, V; Platt, J; Kar, M; McCall, P; Zamudio, AV; Manteiga, JC; Coffey, EL; Li, CH; Hannett, NM; Guo, YE; Decker, TM; Lee, TI; Zhang, T; Weng, JK; Taatjes, DJ; Chakraborty, A; Sharp, PA; Chang, YT; Hyman, AA; Gray, NS; Young, RA. Partitioning of cancer therapeutics in nuclear condensates. Science 2020, 368: 1386 – 1392.
Fant, CB; Levandowski, CB; Gupta, K; Maas, ZL; Moir, JT; Rubin, JD; Sawyer, A; Esbin, M; Rimel, JK; Luyties, O; Marr, MT; Berger, I; Dowell, RD; Taatjes, DJ. TFIID enables RNA polymerase II promoter-proximal pausing.Mol Cell 2020, 78: 785 – 793.
Schier, AC; Taatjes, DJ. Structure and mechanism of the RNA polymerase II transcription machinery.Genes Dev. 2020, 34: 465 – 488.
Zamudio, AV; Dall’Agnese, A; Henninger, JE; Manteiga, JC; Afeyan, LK; Hannett, NM; Coffey, EL; Li, CH; Oksuz, O; Boija, A; Klein, IA; Sabari, BR; Hawken, SW; Spille, JH; Decker, TM; Cisse, II; Abraham, BJ; Lee, TI; Taatjes, DJ; Schuijers, J; Young, RA. Mediator condensates localize signaling factors to key cell identity genes.Mol Cell 2019, 76: 753 – 766.
Steinparzer, I; Sedlyarov, V; Rubin, JD; Eislmayr, K; Galbraith MD; Levandowski, CB; Vcelkova, T; Sneezum, L; Wascher, F; Amman, F; Kleinova, R; Bender, H; Andrysik, Z; Espinosa, JM; Superti-Furga, G; Dowell, RD; Taatjes, DJ;* Kovarik, P.* Transcriptional responses to IFNg require Mediator kinase-dependent pause release and mechanistically distinct CDK8 and CDK19 functions.Mol Cell 2019, 76: 485 – 499.
Guo, YE; Manteiga, JC; Henninger, J; Sabari, BR; Dall'Agnese, A; Hannett, NM; Spille, J-H; Afeyan, LK; Zamudio, AV; Shrinivas, K; Abraham, BJ; Boija, A; Decker, TM; Rimel, JK; Fant, CB; Lee, TI; Cisse, II; Sharp, PA; Taatjes, DJ; Young, RA. RNA polymerase II phosphorylation regulates a switch between transcriptional and splicing condensates. Nature 2019, 572: 543 – 548.
Fant, CB; Taatjes, DJ. Regulatory functions of the Mediator kinases CDK8 and CDK19. Transcription 2019, 10: 76 – 90.
Guard, SE; Poss, ZC; Ebmeier, CC; Pagratis, M; Simpson, H; Taatjes, DJ; Old, WM. The nuclear interactome of DYRK1A reveals a functional role in DNA damage repair. Sci Rep. 2019, 9: 6539.
Harper, TM; Taatjes, DJ. The complex structure and function of Mediator. J Biol Chem. 2018, 293: 13778-13785.
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: 1842-1855.
Goodrich JA; Taatjes DJ. Transcription regulation enters a new phase. Nature 2018, 558: 197-198.
Rimel, JK; Taatjes DJ. The essential and multifunctional TFIIH complex. Protein Sci. 2018, 27: 1018-1037.
Xiaoyang Guan, Patrick K. Chaffey, Yuan Ruan, Connor K. Hurd, Dylan J. Taatjes, Zhongping Tan. Chemical Synthesis of the Multiply Phosphorylated and Biotinylated N-Terminal Transactivation Domain of Human p53 (p53TAD). Synlett 2017; 28: 1917-1922.
Taatjes, DJ. The Continuing SAGA of TFIID and RNA Polymerase II Transcription. Mol Cell 2017, 68: 1-2.
Taatjes, DJ. Transcription Factor-Mediator Interfaces: Multiple and Multi-Valent. J Mol Biol. 2017, 429: 2996-2998.
Ebmeier, CC; Erickson, B; Allen, BL; Allen, MA; Kim, H; Fong, N; Jacobsen, JR; Liang, K; Shilatifard, A; Dowell, RD; Old, WM; Bentley, DL*; Taatjes, DJ*. Human TFIIH kinase CDK7 regulates transcription-associated chromatin modifications. Cell Rep. 2017, 20: 1173 - 1186.
Audetat, KA; Galbraith, MD; Odell, AT; Lee, T; Pandey, A; Espinosa, JM; Dowell, RD; Taatjes, DJ. A kinase-independent role for CDK19 in p53 response. Mol Cell Biol. 2017, 37: e00626-16.
Alhadid, Y; Chung, S; Lerner, E; Taatjes, DJ; Borukhov, S; Weiss, S. Studying transcription initiation by RNA polymerase with diffusion-based single molecule fluorescence. Protein Sci. 2017, 26: 1278 - 1290.
Lerner, E; Chung, S; Allen, BL; Wang, S; Lee, JJ; Lu, SW; Grimaud, LW; Ingargiola, A; Michalet, X; Alhadid, Y; Borukhov, S; Strick, T;* Taatjes, DJ;* Weiss, S.* A backtracked and paused transcription initiation intermediate of Escherichia Coli RNA polymerase. Proc Natl Acad Sci. USA. 2016, E6562 – E6571.
Passmore LA; Taatjes DJ. Macromolecular Complexes in Transcription and Co-Transcriptional RNA Processing. J Mol Biol. 2016, 428: 2539 - 2541.
Poss, ZC; Ebmeier, CC; Odell, AT; Tangpeerachaikul, A; Lee, T; Pelish, HE; Shair, MD; Dowell, RD; Old, WM; Taatjes, DJ. Identification of Mediator kinase substrates in human cells using cortistatin A and quantitative phosphoproteomics. Cell Rep. 2016, 15: 436 - 450.
Rubin, JD; Taatjes, DJ. Mediating transcription and RNA export. Nature 2015, 526: 199 - 200.
Luo, J; Cimermancic, P; Viswanath, S; Ebmeier, CC; Kim, B; Dehecq, M; Raman, V; Sali, A; Taatjes, DJ; Hahn, S; Ranish, J. Architecture of the human and yeast general transcription and DNA repair factor TFIIH. Mol Cell 2015, 59: 794 - 806.
Fant, CB; Taatjes DJ. All in the family: A portrait of a nuclear receptor co-activator complex. Mol Cell 2015, 57: 952 - 954.
Pelish, HE; Liau, BB; Nitulescu, I; Tangpeerachaikul, A; Poss, ZC; DaSilva, D; Caruso, B; Arefolov, A; Fadeyi, O; Christie, A; Du, K; Banka, D; Schneider, EV; Jestel, A; Zou, G; Si, C; Ebmeier, CC; Bronson, RT; Krivtsov, AV; Myers, AG; Kohl, N; Kung, A; Armstrong, S; Lemieux, M; Taatjes, DJ; Shair, MD. Mediator kinase inhibition further activates super-enhancer-associated genes in AML. Nature 2015, 526: 273 - 276.
Allen, BL; Taatjes, DJ. The Mediator complex: a central integrator of transcription. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2015, 16: 155 - 166.
Bunch, H; Zheng, X; Burkholder, A; Dillon, S; Motola, S; Birrane, G; Ebmeier, CC; Levine, S; Fargo, D; Hu, G; Taatjes, DJ; Calderwood, SK. TRIM28 regulates RNA polymerase II promoter proximal pausing and pause release.Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2014, 21: 876 - 883.
Sennett, NC; Taatjes, DJ. Mediator redefines itself.Cell Res. 2014 24: 775 - 776.
Lin, SC; Taatjes, DJ. ∆Np53 and aging. Aging (Albany NY) 2013 5: 717 - 718.
Poss, ZC; Ebmeier, CC; Taatjes, DJ. The Mediator complex and transcription regulation.Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 2013, 48: 575 - 608.
Lin, SC; Karoly, ED; Taatjes, DJ. The human ∆Np53 isoform triggers metabolic and gene expression changes that activate mTOR and alter mitochondrial function. Aging Cell 2013, 12: 863 - 872.
Phillips, A; Taatjes, DJ. Small molecule probes to target the human Mediator complex. Isr J Chem. 2013, 53: 588 - 595.
He, Y; Fang, J; Taatjes, DJ; Nogales, E. Structural visualization of key steps in human transcription initiation. Nature 2013, 495: 481 - 486.
Lai, F; Orom, UA; Cessaroni, M; Beringer, M; Taatjes, DJ; Blobel, G; Shiekhattar, R. Activating RNAs associate with Mediator to enhance chromatin architecture and transcription.Nature 2013, 494: 497 - 501.
Davis, MA; Larimore, EA; Fissel, BM; Swanger, J; Taatjes, DJ; Clurman, BE. The SCF-FBW7 ubiquitin ligase degrades MED13 and MED13L and regulates CDK8 module association with Mediator. Genes Dev. 2013, 27: 151 - 156.
Bancerek, J; Poss, ZC; Steinparzer, I; Sedlyarov, V; Pfaffenwimmer, T; Mikulic, I; Dolken, L; Strobl, B; Muller, M; Taatjes, DJ; Kovarik, P. CDK8 Kinase Phosphorylates Transcription Factor STAT1 to Selectively Regulate the Interferon Response. Immunity 2013, 38: 250 - 262.
Schwartz, J; Ebmeier, CC; Podell, EA; Heimiller, J; Taatjes, DJ; Cech, TR. FUS binds the CTD of RNA polymerase II and regulates its phosphorylation at Ser2. Genes Dev. 2012, 26: 2690 - 2695.
Bernecky, C; Taatjes, DJ. Activator–Mediator binding stabilizes RNA polymerase II orientation within the human Mediator–RNA polymerase II–TFIIF assembly. J Mol Biol. 2012, 417: 387 - 394.
Taylor, DJ; Podell, EA; Taatjes, DJ; Cech, TR. Multiple POT1-TPP1 proteins coat and compact long telomeric ssDNA. J Mol Biol. 2011, 410: 10 - 17.
Bernecky, C; Grob, P; Ebmeier, CC; Nogales, E; Taatjes, DJ. Molecular architecture of the human Mediator–RNA polymerase II–TFIIF assembly. PLoS Biol. 2011, 9: e1000603.
Knuesel, MT; Taatjes, DJ. Mediator and post-recruitment regulation of RNA polymerase II. Transcription 2011, 2: 28 - 31.
Kagey, MH; Newman, JJ; Bilodeau, S; Zhan, Y; Orlando, DA; van Berkum, NL; Ebmeier, CC; Goossens, J; Rahl, PB; Levine, SS; Taatjes, DJ*; Dekker, J*; Young, RA*. Mediator and cohesin connect gene expression and chromatin architecture. Nature 2010, 467: 430 - 435.
De Carlo, S; Lin, S; Taatjes, DJ; Hoenger, A. Molecular basis of transcription initiation in archaea.Transcription 2010, 1: 103 - 111.
Ebmeier, CC; Taatjes, DJ. Activator-Mediator binding regulates Mediator-cofactor interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci. USA. 2010, 107: 11283 - 11288.
Meyer, KD; Lin, S; Bernecky, C; Gao, Y; Taatjes, DJ. p53 activates transcription by directing structural shifts in Mediator. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2010, 17: 753 - 760.
Taatjes, DJ. The human Mediator complex: a versatile, genome-wide regulator of transcription. Trends Biochem Sci. 2010, 35: 315 - 322.
Donner, AJ; Ebmeier, CC; Taatjes, DJ; Espinosa, JM. CDK8 is a positive regulator of transcriptional elongation within the serum response network. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2010, 17: 194 - 201.
Knuesel, MT; Meyer, KD; Bernecky, C; Taatjes, DJ. The human CDK8 subcomplex is a molecular switch that controls Mediator co-activator function. Genes & Dev. 2009, 23: 439 - 451.
Knuesel, MT; Meyer, KD; Donner, AJ; Espinosa JM; Taatjes, DJ. The human CDK8 subcomplex is a histone kinase that requires Med12 for activity and can function independently of Mediator. Mol Cell Biol. 2009, 29: 650 - 661.
Panning, B; Taatjes, DJ. Transcriptional Regulation: It takes a Village. Mol Cell 2008, 31: 622 - 629.
Meyer, KD; Donner, AJ; Knuesel, MT; York, AG; Espinosa, JM; Taatjes, DJ. Cooperative activity of CDK8 and GCN5L within Mediator directs tandem phosphoacetylation of histone H3. EMBO J 2008, 27: 1447 - 1457.
Taatjes, DJ; Marr, MT; Tjian, R. Regulatory diversity among metazoan co-activator complexes. Nat RevMol Cell Biol. 2004, 5: 403 - 410.
Taatjes, DJ; Schneider-Poetsch, T; Tjian, R. Distinct conformational states of nuclear receptor-bound CRSP–Med complexes. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2004, 11: 664 - 671.
Taatjes, DJ; Tjian, R. Structure and function of CRSP/Med2: a promoter-selective transcriptional coactivator complex. Mol Cell 2004, 14: 675 - 683.
Taatjes, DJ; Näär, AM; Andel, F; Nogales, E; Tjian, R. Structure, function, and activator-induced conformations of the CRSP coactivator. Science 2002, 295: 1058 - 1062.
Näär, AM;Taatjes, DJ; Zhai, W; Tjian, R. Human CRSP interacts with RNA polymerase II CTD and adopts a specific CTD-bound conformation. Genes Dev. 2002, 16: 1339 - 1344.
Dernell, WS; Powers, BE; Taatjes, DJ; Cogan, P; Gaudiano, G; Koch, TH. Evaluation of the epidoxorubicin-formaldehyde conjugate, Epidoxoform, in a mouse mammary carcinoma model. Cancer Invest. 2002, 20: 712 - 723.
Taatjes, DJ; Koch, TH. Nuclear targeting and retention of anthracycline antitumor drugs in sensitive and resistant tumor cells. Curr. Med. Chem. 2001, 8: 15 - 29.
Kato, S; Burke, PJ; Fenick, DJ; Taatjes, DJ; Bierbaum, VM; Koch, TH. Mass spectrometric measurement of formaldehyde generated in breast cancer cells upon treatment with anthracycline antitumor drugs. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 2000, 13: 509 - 516.
Taatjes, DJ; Koch, TH. Growth inhibition, nuclear uptake, and retention of anthracycline-formaldehyde conjugates in prostate cancer cells relative to clinical anthracyclines. Anticancer Res. 1999, 19: 1201 - 1208.
Podell, E; Harrington, D; Taatjes, DJ; Koch, TH. Crystal structure of Epidoxorubicin-formaldehyde virtual crosslink to DNA and evidence of its formation in human breast cancer cells. Acta Cryst. 1999, D55: 1516 - 1523.
Taatjes, DJ; Fenick, DJ; Koch, TH. Nuclear targeting and nuclear retention of anthracycline-formaldehyde conjugates implicates DNA covalent bonding in the cytotoxic mechanism of anthracyclines. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 1999, 12: 588 - 596. [Cover]
Taatjes, DJ; Fenick, DJ; Gaudiano, G; Koch, TH. A redox pathway leading to the alkylation of nucleic acids by doxorubicin and related anthracyclines: application to the design of antitumor drugs for resistant cancer. Curr. Pharm. Des. 1998, 4: 217 - 232.
Taatjes, DJ; Fenick, DJ; Koch, TH. Epidoxoform: a hydrolytically more stable anthracycline-formaldehyde conjugate, toxic to resistant tumor cells. J. Med. Chem. 1998, 41: 1306 - 1314.
Taatjes, DJ; Gaudiano, G; Resing, K; Koch, TH. A redox pathway leading to the alkylation of DNA by the anthracycline, antitumor drugs, Adriamycin and Daunomycin. J. Med. Chem. 1997, 40: 1276 - 1286.
Fenick, DJ; Taatjes, DJ; Koch, TH. Doxoform and Daunoform: anthrcycline-formaldehyde conjugates toxic to resistant tumor cells. J. Med. Chem. 1997, 40: 2452 - 2461.
Taatjes, DJ; Gaudiano, G; Koch, TH. Production of formaldehyde and DNA-adriamycin or –daunomycin adducts, initiated through redox chemistry of DTT/iron, xanthine oxidase/NADH/iron, or glutathione/iron.Chem. Res. Toxicol. 1997, 10: 953 - 961.
Taatjes, DJ; Gaudiano, G; Resing, K; Koch, TH. Alkylation of DNA by the anthracycline, antitumor drugs adriamycin and daunomycin. J. Med. Chem. 1996, 39: 4135 - 4138.