Requirement of ELC1 for RNA polymerase II polyubiquitylation and degradation in response to DNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Treatment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human cells with DNA-damaging agents such as UV light or 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide induces polyubiquitylation of the largest RNA polymerase II (Pol II) subunit, Rpb1, which results in rapid Pol II degradation by the proteasome. Here we identify a novel role for the yeast Elc1 protein in mediating Pol II polyubiquitylation and degradation in DNA-damaged yeast cells and propose the involvement of a ubiquitin ligase, of which Elc1 is a component, in this process. In addition, we present genetic evidence for a possible involvement of Elc1 in Rad7-Rad16-dependent nucleotide excision repair (NER) of lesions from the nontranscribed regions of the genome and suggest a role for Elc1 in increasing the proficiency of repair of nontranscribed DNA, where as a component of the Rad7-Rad16-Elc1 ubiquitin ligase, it would promote the efficient turnover of the NER ensemble from the lesion site in a Rad23-19S proteasomal complex-dependent reaction.