Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
Published on: May 13, 2019
Exploring the molecular mechanism of action between drug and RNA polymerase based on partially-resolved spatial
Yajun Sheng, Chen Zhang, Xingye Qiu
1College of Mathematical Sciences and LPMC, Nankai University, Tianjin, PRC 300071, China. jsruan@nankai.edu.cn.
Abstract:
The RNA polymerase of Influenza A virus (IAV), which is comprised of three units PA, PB1 and PB2, is involved in transcription and replication of the influenza virus. In order to develop effective treatment for IAV, researchers have focused on designing drugs targeting IAV polymerase. Currently, crystal structures of the IAV polymerase PA-PB1, PB1-PB2 complexes and the PA subunit have been obtained by several groups, providing useful information regarding potential binding sites in drug design. However, to gain full understanding of the molecular mechanism of IAV polymerase in viral transcription and replication, thereby aiding drug development, a complete atomistic structure of the RNA polymerase is required. In this paper, we employed computer-aided drug design tools to describe the complete structure of the RNA polymerase and proposed a putative mechanism. We predict that the combination of Vancomycin and Oseltamivir will be an effective drug to universally treat IAVs with no resultant drug resistance if this putative mechanism is true.
Related Concept Videos
Transcription Initiation
The promoters and enhancers and their accessory proteins allow tight regulation of...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...
RNA Structure
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three...
RNA Structure
The basic structure of RNA consists of a five-carbon sugar and one of four nitrogenous bases. Although most RNA is single-stranded, it can form complex secondary and tertiary structures. Such structures play essential roles in the regulation of transcription and translation.
Different Types of RNA Have the Same Basic Structure
There are three main types of ribonucleic acid (RNA): messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). All three RNA types consist of a...
Bacterial Transcription
Transcription can be divided into three main stages, each involving distinct DNA sequences to guide the polymerase. These are:
Types of RNA
RNA Performs Diverse...

