Subunits Med12 and Med13 of Mediator Cooperate with Subunits SAYP and Bap170 of SWI/SNF in Active Transcription in Drosophila

SAYP and Bap170, subunits of the SWI/SNF remodeling complex, have the ability to support enhancer-dependent transcription when artificially recruited to the promoter on a transgene. We found that the phenomenon critically depends on two subunits of the Mediator kinase module, Med12 and Med13 but does not require the two other subunits of the module (Cdk8 and CycC) or other subunits of the core part of the complex. A cooperation of the above proteins in active transcription was also observed at endogenous loci, but the contribution of the subunits to the activity of a particular gene differed in different loci. The factors SAYP/Bap170 and Med12/Med13 did not form sufficiently stable interactions in the extract, and their cooperation was apparently local at regulatory elements, the presence of SAYP and Bap170 in a locus being necessary for stable recruitment of Med12 and Med13 to the locus. In addition to the above factors, the Nelf-A protein was found to participate in the process. The cooperation of the factors, independent of enzymatic activities of the complexes they are part of, appears to be a novel mechanism that maintains promoter activity and may be used in many loci of the genome. Extended intrinsically disordered regions of the factors were assumed to sustain the mechanism.