Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026
07:44
High-throughput Purification of Affinity-tagged Recombinant Proteins
Published on: August 26, 2012
Structural basis of transcription elongation
Fuensanta W Martinez-Rucobo1, Patrick Cramer
1Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|September 18, 2012
Summary
This review summarizes structural and functional studies of the RNA polymerase elongation complex (EC). It details EC mechanisms, including nucleotide selection, translocation, and proofreading, for better understanding transcription elongation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cellular RNA polymerases form stable elongation complexes (EC) with DNA and RNA transcripts.
- Recent decades have yielded significant structural and functional data on EC states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and synthesize structural and functional studies of the transcription elongation complex (EC).
- To provide a comprehensive overview of EC mechanisms and functional states.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of structural and functional studies on RNA polymerase elongation.
- Analysis of data elucidating EC structure, maintenance, and dynamics.
Main Results:
- Detailed three-dimensional structures of the EC in various functional states have been elucidated.
- Key mechanisms including nucleotide selection, translocation, pausing, proofreading, and DNA lesion interactions are understood.
- Studies cover EC maintenance, processivity, arrest, and reactivation.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of EC structure and function has been achieved through extensive research.
- Future studies on elongation factors and allosteric regulation are needed for a complete picture of transcription elongation.
- This review synthesizes current knowledge on RNA polymerase II transcript elongation.
Related Concept Videos
02:35Transcription 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...
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...
02:35Transcription 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...
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...
01:47Transcription 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...
The promoters and enhancers and their accessory proteins allow tight regulation of...
01:53Bacterial 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 can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:
01:28Transcription in Prokaryotes
Transcription is a highly regulated process that converts genetic information into RNA molecules. The transcription cycle is divided into three key stages: initiation, elongation, and termination, each driven by specific molecular mechanisms.Initiation of TranscriptionIn bacteria, transcription begins when the RNA polymerase core enzyme associates with a sigma factor to form a holoenzyme. For example, the E. coli sigma factor called σ70 forms a holoenzyme, which recognizes the -10 (Pribnow box)...
01:30General Transcription Factors
Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...