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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Analysis of Termination of Transcription Using BrUTP-strand-specific Transcription Run-on (TRO) Approach
Published on: March 12, 2017
Unravelling the means to an end: RNA polymerase II transcription termination
Jason N Kuehner1, Erika L Pearson, Claire Moore
1Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
Abstract:
The pervasiveness of RNA synthesis in eukaryotes is largely the result of RNA polymerase II (Pol II)-mediated transcription, and termination of its activity is necessary to partition the genome and maintain the proper expression of neighbouring genes. Despite its ever-increasing biological significance, transcription termination remains one of the least understood processes in gene expression. However, recent mechanistic studies have revealed a striking convergence among several overlapping models of termination, including the poly(A)- and Sen1-dependent pathways, as well as new insights into the specificity of Pol II termination among its diverse gene targets. Broader knowledge of the role of Pol II carboxy-terminal domain phosphorylation in promoting alternative mechanisms of termination has also been gained.
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