Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

RNA Polymerase (RNAP) is conserved in all animals, with bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic RNAPs sharing significant sequence, structural, and functional similarities. Among the three eukaryotic RNAPs, RNA Polymerase II is most similar to bacterial RNAP in terms of both structural organization and folding topologies of the enzyme subunits. However, these similarities are not reflected in their mechanism of action.
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...

RNA-seq

RNA-seq

RNA sequencing, or RNA-Seq, is a high-throughput sequencing technology used to study the transcriptome of a cell. Transcriptomics helps to interpret the functional elements of a genome and identify the molecular constituents of an organism. Additionally, it also helps in understanding the development of an organism and the occurrence of diseases.
Before the discovery of RNA-seq, microarray-based methods and Sanger sequencing were used for transcriptome analysis. However, while...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Copy-back RNA synthesis by coronavirus polymerase requires helicase activity and is stimulated by remdesivir and molnupiravir.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Selective targeting of a histone-like silencer Sfx to the R6K conjugal transfer operon.

Nucleic acids research·2026

Same author

The ω subunit stabilizes transcribing RNA polymerase to balance processivity and collision resolution.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Exploration of the structural and functional diversity in the metamorphic RfaH subfamily.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Selective targeting of a histone-like silencer Sfx to the R6K conjugal transfer operon.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Template switching by coronavirus polymerase requires helicase activity and is stimulated by remdesivir and molnupiravir.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 3, 2026

Capture and Identification of RNA-binding Proteins by Using Click Chemistry-assisted RNA-interactome Capture CARIC Strategy

Capture and Identification of RNA-binding Proteins by Using Click Chemistry-assisted RNA-interactome Capture CARIC Strategy

Published on: October 19, 2018

Tracking RNA polymerase, one step at a time.

Dmitry G Vassylyev¹, Irina Artsimovitch

¹Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.

|December 20, 2005

Summary

Researchers found that bacterial RNA polymerase moves in single base-pair steps. This enzyme functions as a Brownian ratchet, propelled by nucleoside triphosphate binding during transcription.

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Biophysics

Background:

Structural analysis of transcription has achieved high resolution.
Techniques for manipulating single molecules in transcription have been limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and apply single-molecule manipulation techniques to study transcription.
To elucidate the step-wise mechanism of bacterial RNA polymerase during transcription.

Main Methods:

Utilized single-molecule force spectroscopy to measure the movement of individual bacterial RNA polymerase molecules.
Analyzed the step size and dynamics of polymerase translocation along DNA.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that bacterial RNA polymerase translocates in discrete, single base-pair steps.

More Related Videos

Single-step Purification of Macromolecular Complexes Using RNA Attached to Biotin and a Photo-cleavable Linker

Single-step Purification of Macromolecular Complexes Using RNA Attached to Biotin and a Photo-cleavable Linker

Published on: January 3, 2019

Identification of RNAs Engaged in Direct RNA-RNA Interaction with a Long Non-Coding RNA

Identification of RNAs Engaged in Direct RNA-RNA Interaction with a Long Non-Coding RNA

Published on: July 9, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 3, 2026

Capture and Identification of RNA-binding Proteins by Using Click Chemistry-assisted RNA-interactome Capture CARIC Strategy

Capture and Identification of RNA-binding Proteins by Using Click Chemistry-assisted RNA-interactome Capture CARIC Strategy

Published on: October 19, 2018

Single-step Purification of Macromolecular Complexes Using RNA Attached to Biotin and a Photo-cleavable Linker

Single-step Purification of Macromolecular Complexes Using RNA Attached to Biotin and a Photo-cleavable Linker

Published on: January 3, 2019

Identification of RNAs Engaged in Direct RNA-RNA Interaction with a Long Non-Coding RNA

Identification of RNAs Engaged in Direct RNA-RNA Interaction with a Long Non-Coding RNA

Published on: July 9, 2021

Observed that the binding of incoming nucleoside triphosphates drives polymerase forward motion.

Conclusions:

Bacterial RNA polymerase functions as a Brownian ratchet.
The binding energy of nucleotides is converted into mechanical work to drive transcription progression.