Rho-dependent transcription termination: more questions than answers

Escherichia coli protein Rho is required for the factor-dependent transcription termination by an RNA polymerase and is essential for the viability of the cell. It is a homohexameric protein that recognizes and binds preferably to C-rich sites in the transcribed RNA. Once bound to RNA, it utilizes RNA-dependent ATPase activity and subsequently ATPase-dependent helicase activity to unwind RNA-DNA hybrids and release RNA from a transcribing elongation complex. Studies over the past few decades have highlighted Rho as a molecule and have revealed much of its mechanistic properties. The recently solved crystal structure could explain many of its physiological functions in terms of its structure. Despite all these efforts, many of the fundamental questions pertaining to Rho recognition sites, differential ATPase activity in response to different RNAs, translocation of Rho along the nascent transcript, interactions with elongation complex and finally unwinding and release of RNA remain obscure. In the present review we have attempted to summarize "the knowns" and "the unknowns" of the Rho protein revealed by the recent developments in this field. An attempt has also been made to understand the physiology of Rho in the light of its phylogeny.