The Elp2 Subunit of Elongator and Elongating RNA Polymerase II Holoenzyme Is a WD40 Repeat Protein*

A novel yeast gene, ELP2, is shown to encode the 90-kDa subunit of the Elongator complex and elongating RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. ELP2 encodes a protein with eight WD40 repeats, and cells lacking the gene display typicalelp phenotypes, such as temperature and salt sensitivity. Generally, different combinations of double and triple ELPgene deletions cause the same phenotypes as single ELP1,ELP2, or ELP3 deletion, providing genetic evidence that the ELP gene products work together in a complex.