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Related Concept Videos

Transcription Elongation Factors02:35

Transcription Elongation Factors

Transcription elongation is a dynamic process that alters depending upon the sequence heterogeneity of the DNA being transcribed. Hence, it is not surprising that the elongation complex's composition also varies along the way while transcribing a gene.
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
Transcription Elongation Factors02:35

Transcription Elongation Factors

Transcription elongation is a dynamic process that alters depending upon the sequence heterogeneity of the DNA being transcribed. Hence, it is not surprising that the elongation complex's composition also varies along the way while transcribing a gene.
The transcription elongation is regulated via pausing of RNA polymerase on several occasions during transcription. In bacteria, these halts are necessary because the transcription of DNA into mRNA is coupled to the translation of that mRNA into a...
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes02:42

Transcription Attenuation in Prokaryotes

Transcriptional attenuation occurs when RNA transcription is prematurely terminated due to the formation of a terminator mRNA hairpin structure.  Bacteria use these hairpins to regulate the transcription process and control the synthesis of several amino acids including histidine, lysine, threonine, and phenylalanine. Transcription attenuation takes place in the non-coding regions of mRNA.
There are several different mechanisms used to attenuate transcription. In ribosome mediated...
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:
Spreading of Chromatin Modifications02:25

Spreading of Chromatin Modifications

The histone proteins in the nucleosomes are post-translationally modified (PTM) to increase or decrease access to DNA. The commonly observed PTMs are methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination of lysine amino acids in the histone H3 tail region. These histone modifications have specific meaning for the cell. Hence, they are called "histone code". The protein complex involved in histone modification is termed as "reader-writer" complex.
Writers
The writer is an enzyme that can...

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Updated: May 23, 2026

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

Overcoming the nucleosome barrier during transcript elongation.

Steven J Petesch1, John T Lis

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Trends in Genetics : TIG
|April 3, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcribes genes by overcoming nucleosomal barriers. This review details mechanisms like chromatin remodelers and histone modifications that Pol II uses to navigate nucleosomes for efficient gene transcription.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Gene Regulation
  • Chromatin Dynamics

Background:

  • Gene transcription requires RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to access DNA.
  • Nucleosomes, the basic units of DNA packaging, pose a significant barrier to Pol II.
  • Understanding how Pol II overcomes nucleosomes is crucial for gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular mechanisms Pol II employs to transcribe through nucleosomes.
  • To highlight the roles of various factors in facilitating nucleosome traversal by Pol II.
  • To identify future research directions for understanding genome-wide transcription regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of single-molecule techniques elucidating nucleosome disassembly.
  • Analysis of molecular details of Pol II-nucleosome interactions.
  • Synthesis of current knowledge on factors influencing Pol II transcription through nucleosomes.

Main Results:

  • Pol II utilizes multiple strategies to transcribe through nucleosomes.
  • Key mechanisms include chromatin remodelers, histone chaperones, histone modifications, histone variants, and PARP activation.
  • These factors collectively facilitate DNA accessibility for transcription.

Conclusions:

  • Pol II employs a diverse set of mechanisms to overcome nucleosomal barriers.
  • Further research is needed to dissect the individual and combined contributions of these mechanisms.
  • Understanding these processes is vital for comprehending cellular responses to various cues.