The PNUTS-PP1 complex acts as an intrinsic barrier to herpesvirus KSHV gene expression and replication

The PNUTS-PP1 complex directly binds to RNA, and interacts with polymerase II and RNA processing factors to control transcriptional elongation rates and slow polymerase II after polyadenylation sites to promote termination. Using a genome-wide CRISPR screen, Devlin et al. identify this complex as a critical suppressor of herpesvirus KSHV gene expression. They further provide evidence that PNUTS-PP1 controls elongation both downstream and upstream of polyadenylation sites on specific viral genes.