Genexpression in Eukaryoten beschreibt einen mehrstufigen Prozess, welcher auf Ebene der Transkription durch den positiven Transkriptionselongationsfaktor P-TEFb entscheidend reguliert wird. PTEFb bildet einen heterodimeren Komplex aus der Cyclin abhängigen Kinase 9 und deren Kofaktor Cyclin T1/2. Dieser Komplex aktiviert die Elongation der Transkription durch Phosphorylierung der negativen Elongationsfaktoren DSIF und NELF. Darüber hinaus phosphoryliert PTEFb Serin2 Reste in der C-terminalen Domäne von RNA PolII und stimuliert so die kotranskriptionelle Prozessierung der synthetisierten prä-mRNA. In Anpassung an unterschiedliche Wachstumsbedingungen wird die Aktivität dieses Faktors durch reversible Interaktion mit 7SK RNA und HEXIM Proteinen innerhalb eines katalytisch inaktiven Ribonukleoproteinpartikels (7SK RNP) streng kontrolliert. Dieses sensible Gleichgewicht zwischen P-TEFb auf der einen und dem 7SK RNP auf der anderen Seite bildet die Grundlage der Regulation der Transkriptionselongation. Trotz der hohen Abundanz von 7SK RNA in der Zelle, assoziiert in vivo jedoch nur ein relativ kleiner Teil hiervon mit P-TEFb, sodass die effektiv zur Verfügung stehende RNA-Menge für die Bildung des 7SK RNP vermutlich limitierend wirkt. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es daher neue 7SK RNA interagierende Faktoren zu identifizieren, welche die Interaktion von PTEFb mit dem 7SK RNP steuern und so die PolII abhängige Transkription regulieren. Anhand verschiedener chromatographischer Reinigungen konnte zunächst ein bislang uncharakterisiertes La ähnliches Protein (LARP7) mit einer spezifischen Affinität für Pyrimidinreiche RNAs isoliert werden. LARP7 bindet, wie durch immunbiochemische Analysen und RNA- Bindungsstudien gezeigt werden konnte, quantitativ an das hoch konservierte uridylreiche 3´- Ende von 7SK RNA. Diese Assoziation erfordert dessen La- und RRMDomänen und erhöht wesentlich die Stabilität der RNA. Darüber hinaus kofraktioniert LARP7 mit weiteren Faktoren des 7SK RNP, bindet direkt an HEXIM1 und P-TEFb und stellt somit ebenfalls eine integrale Komponente des 7SK RNP dar. Die gewonnenen Daten weisen außerdem erstmals darauf hin, dass P-TEFb durch einen vorgeformten trimeren Komplexes, bestehend aus HEXIM1, 7SK RNA und LARP7 inhibiert wird. Reportergenanalysen in TZMbl-Zellen, welche Luziferase unter der Kontrolle des streng P-TEFb abhängigen HIV-1-LTRPromotors exprimieren zeigten, dass diese Inhibition im Wesentlichen durch LARP7 vermittelt wird. So ließ sich nach Reduktion der LARP7 Expression mittels RNAi eine signifikante Steigerung der Transkription vom HIV-1-LTR-Promotor beobachten. Eine ähnliche Stimulation der Transkription von PolII konnte in LARP7 defizienten HeLa-Zellen durch quantitative Real-Time-PCR auch für eine Reihe zellulärer Gene nachgewiesen werden. Die Beobachtung, dass LARP7 die generelle PolII Transkription reprimiert, korreliert zudem mit einer bereits beschriebenen Tumorsupressorfunktion des LARP7 homologen mxc Proteins aus D. melanogaster. Somit beeinflusst LARP7 das zelluläre Gleichgewicht zwischen freiem und 7SK RNP-gebundenem P-TEFb und fungiert somit als negativer Regulator der PolII Transkription in vivo. / Eucaryotic gene expression is a multistep process, which is critically regulated on the level of RNA polII transcription by the positive transcription elongation factor P-TEFb. P-TEFb forms a heterodimeric complex, consisting of the cyclin-dependent kinase 9 and its cofactor cyclin T1/2. This complex stimulates transcriptional elongation as well as the cotranscriptional processing of the synthesized pre-mRNA by phosphorylation of negative elongation factors and the RNA polII Cterminal domain. To accommodate different growth conditions, P-TEFb activity is kept under tight control through its reversible interaction with 7SK RNA and HEXIM proteins in a catalytically inactive ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP). This sensitive balance between PTEFb on the one hand and the 7SK RNP on the other represents the basis of transcriptional regulation of elongation. Despite the high abundance of 7SK RNA in the cell, only a small part is associated with P-TEFb in vivo, suggesting that the actual amount of RNA available limits the formation of the 7SK RNP. Hence, the objective of the present study was to identify novel 7SK RNA interacting factors, which direct the interaction of P-TEFb with the 7SK RNP, thereby regulating polII dependent transcription. At first, using different chromatographic purification strategies, an as yet uncharacterized La related protein (LARP7) with an affinity to pyrimidine- rich RNAs was isolated. Immunobiochemical analysis and RNA binding studies revealed, that LARP7 quantitatively associates with the highly conserved 3´-UUU-OH terminus of 7SK RNA. This binding requires its La- and RRM-domain and dramatically increases RNA stability. Moreover, LARP7 co-fractionates with additional factors of the 7SK RNP, binds directly to HEXIM1 and P-TEFb and therefore likewise constitutes an integral component of the 7SK RNP. Data presented here indicate that P-TEFb is inhibited upon association with a trimeric complex consisting of HEXIM1, 7SK RNA and LARP7. Furthermore, reporter gene analysis in TZMbl cells - cells expressing luciferase under the control of the strictly P-TEFb dependent HIV-1-LTR promoter - demonstrated this inhibition to be mainly mediated by LARP7. Thus, reduction of LARP7 expression by RNA-interference led to a significant stimulation of transcription in TZMbl cells. In addition, quantitative real time pcr revealed a similar effect on transcription for a series of cellular genes in LARP7 deficient HeLa cells. Moreover, the observation, that LARP7 represses polII transcription in general correlates well with a known function of the d. melanogaster LARP7 homologue mxc as a tumor suppressor. Thus, LARP7 affects the cellular P-TEFb/7SK RNP equilibrium und serves as a negative regulator of polII transcription in vivo.

Regulation of transcription elongation by P-TEFb is critical for proper gene expression and cell survival. The cell possesses large quantities of P-TEFb, but the vast majority of it is locked away and inactive in the 7SK snRNP. Since the discovery of the 7SK snRNP, research has been conducted to determine how P-TEFb is released from this complex. The goal of the research presented in this thesis is to better understand how the 7SK snRNP regulates P-TEFb and ultimately, gene expression. This work documents the discovery and characterization of the 7SK stability protein LARP7. LARP7 is is associated with 7SK regardless of the presence of P-TEFb and HEXIM1. Stabilization of 7SK is essential for maintenance of the RNP because loss of LARP7 results in an increase in free P-TEFb and a significant reduction in the amount of 7SK. These results indicate that stabilization of the 7SK snRNP by LARP7 is important for regulating P-TEFb homeostasis. Although P-TEFb was first characterized from Drosophila lysates, the conservation of the 7SK snRNP and the mechanisms regulating P-TEFb inhibition have not been described. Here, the Drosophila melanogaster homologues of LARP7 and 7SK are characterized. These studies show that the system of P-TEFb regulation is similar in flies and this makes Drosophila an attractive model system for studying P-TEFb regulation through embryonic and larval development. Finally, factors and modifications involved in releasing P-TEFb directly are explored. An assay was developed for discovering proteins that can bind to and release P-TEFb from the 7SK snRNP. Use of this assay showed that post-translational modification of the components of the 7SK snRNP do not cause P-TEFb release directly. However, HIV Tat and the C-terminal P-TEFb binding region of the bromodomain containing protein, Brd4, are capable of extracting P-TEFb directly. Most importantly, the release of P-TEFb is followed by a conformational change in 7SK RNA that prevents the continued binding of HEXIM1 to the complex. P-TEFb release from the 7SK snRNP is the result of direct extraction of P-TEFb by viral or cellular proteins, and not post-translational modifications or a competition between HEXIM1 and hnRNP proteins for 7SK binding.