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Related Concept Videos

Bacterial RNA Polymerase00:43

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
Bacterial RNA Polymerase00:43

Bacterial RNA Polymerase

Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria use a single RNA Polymerase (RNAP) to transcribe all genes. The different subunits of bacterial RNAPhave distinct functions. The multisubunit structure of the bacterial RNAP helps the enzyme to maintain catalytic function, facilitate assembly, interact with DNA and RNA, and self-regulate its activity.
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases00:58

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...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases00:58

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...
Bacterial Transcription01:53

Bacterial Transcription

RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Bacteria do not have a membrane-bound nucleus. So, transcription and translation occur simultaneously, on the same DNA template.
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:
Transcription Initiation01:47

Transcription Initiation

Initiation is the first step of transcription in eukaryotes. Prokaryotic RNA Polymerase (RNAP) can bind to the template DNA and start transcribing. On the other hand, transcription in eukaryotes requires additional proteins, called transcription factors, to first bind to the promoter region in the DNA template. This binding helps recruit the specific RNAP that can assemble on the DNA and start transcription.
The promoters and enhancers and their accessory proteins allow tight regulation of...

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Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
10:59

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events

Published on: May 13, 2019

Structural evolution of multisubunit RNA polymerases.

Finn Werner1

  • 1Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK. werner@biochem.ucl.ac.uk

Trends in Microbiology
|May 13, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers have determined the structure of archaeal RNA polymerases (RNAPs), completing a major gap in understanding transcription across all life. This breakthrough allows for new hypotheses on the evolution of RNAP structure and function.

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Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Multisubunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs) are essential for gene transcription in bacteria, eukaryotes, and archaea.
  • While structures of bacterial and eukaryotic RNAPs are well-characterized, the archaeal RNAP structure remained elusive until recently.
  • Understanding RNAP structure is crucial for deciphering the fundamental mechanisms of gene expression.

Discussion:

  • The recent determination of archaeal RNA polymerase structures by the Murakami and Cramer laboratories provides critical insights.
  • These structures fill a significant knowledge gap, enabling comparative analysis with bacterial and eukaryotic counterparts.
  • This structural information is key to understanding the evolutionary trajectory of transcription machinery.

Key Insights:

  • The solved structures of archaeal RNAPs offer a direct comparison to other domains of life.
  • This structural data facilitates hypotheses regarding the co-evolution of RNAP structure and function.
  • It provides a foundation for understanding the diversification of transcription across the three domains.

Outlook:

  • Future research will focus on functional studies informed by these new structures.
  • Comparative structural and functional analyses will illuminate the evolutionary history of transcription.
  • This work paves the way for a unified model of RNA polymerase evolution and function.