The PNUTS phosphatase complex controls transcription pause release [ChIP-Seq]

Gene expression is regulated by controlling distinct steps of the transcriptional cycle, including initiation, pausing, elongation, and termination. Kinases phosphorylate RNA Polymerase II and associated factors to control transitions between these steps and act as central gene regulatory nodes. Similarly, phosphatases that dephosphorylate these components are emerging as important regulators of transcription, though their roles remain less well understood. Here we discover that the mouse PNUTS-PP1 phosphatase complex plays an essential role in controlling transcription pause release in addition to its previously described function in transcription termination. Transcription pause release by the PNUTS complex is essential for almost all RNA Pol II-dependent gene transcription, relies on its PP1 phosphatase subunit, and controls the phosphorylation of factors required for pause release and elongation. Together, these findings reveal an essential new role for a phosphatase complex in transcription pause release and shows that the PNUTS complex is essential for RNA Pol II-dependent transcription.