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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

DNA-Tethered RNA Polymerase for Programmable In vitro Transcription and Molecular Computation
Published on: December 29, 2021
RNA polymerase: a nexus of gene regulation
1Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, 327 Wing Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA. jdh9@cornell.edu
Abstract:
In Bacteria, transcription is catalyzed by a single RNA polymerase (RNAP) whose promoter selectivity and activity is governed by a wide variety of transcription factors. The net effect of these transcriptional regulators is to determine which genes are transcribed, and at what levels, under any specific growth condition. RNAP thus serves as a nexus of gene regulation that integrates the information coming from a variety of sensory systems to appropriately modulate gene expression. The techniques presented in this volume provide a set of tools and approaches for investigating the factors controlling RNAP activity at both individual promoters and on a genomic scale. This introductory chapter provides a brief overview of RNAP and the transcription cycle and introduces general principles of how the fundamental steps of transcription are influenced by both DNA (promoter) sequences and trans-acting factors.
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