Taxonomic distribution of proteins containing RPOLD domains

The tree below includes only several representative species and genera. The complete taxonomic breakdown of all proteins containing RPOLD domains can be accessed here. Click the counts or percentage values to display the corresponding proteins.

The amino acid sequence of the human RNA polymerase II 33-kDa subunit hRPB 33 is highly conserved among eukaryotes.

Pati UK, Weissman SM
J Biol Chem. 1990; 265: 8400-3

We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA of 1766 base pairs in length encoding the 275 amino acids of hRPB 33, the third largest subunit of human RNA polymerase II. The DNA was isolated by screening of a human lambda gt11 cDNA library with oligonucleotides designed on the basis of the amino acid residue analysis of the bovine material. The hRPB 33 amino acid sequence is highly conserved between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human. Overall, 45% of the amino acid residues are identical with the yeast homologue RPB 3, and 65% of the amino acids are identical in the two major conserved regions at residues 0-103 and 151-197. hRPB 33 is also homologous to yeast RPC 5. The amino acid sequence of hRPB 33 showed no obvious homology with bacterial RNA polymerase or with any of its sigma factors.

RNA polymerase II subunit RPB3 is an essential component of the mRNA transcription apparatus.

Kolodziej P, Young RA
Mol Cell Biol. 1989; 9: 5387-94

To improve our understanding of RNA polymerase II, the gene that encodes its third-largest subunit, RPB3, was isolated from a lambda gt11 DNA library by using antibody probes. The RPB3 DNA sequence predicts a 318-amino-acid protein whose sequence was confirmed, in part, by microsequence analysis of the gel-purified RNA polymerase II subunit. RPB3 was found to be an essential single-copy gene that is tightly linked to HIS6 on chromosome IX. An RPB3 temperature-sensitive mutant that arrested growth after three to four generations at the restrictive temperature was isolated. When the mutant was shifted to the restrictive temperature, RNA polymerase II could no longer assemble, previously assembled functional enzyme was depleted, and mRNA levels were consequently reduced. These results demonstrate that RPB3 is an essential component of the mRNA transcription apparatus. Finally, the RPB3 protein is similar in sequence and length to RPC5, a subunit common to RNA polymerases I and III, suggesting that these subunits may play similar roles in RNA polymerases I, II, and III.