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RNA Polymerase II Accessory Proteins

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Proteins that regulate transcription can do so either via direct contact with RNA Polymerase or through indirect interactions facilitated by adaptors, mediators, histone-modifying proteins, and nucleosome remodelers. Direct interactions to activate transcription is seen in bacteria as well as in some eukaryotic genes. In these cases, upstream activation sequences are adjacent to the promoters, and the activator proteins interact directly with the transcriptional machinery. For example, in...

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Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases

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RNA Polymerase (RNAP) is conserved in all animals, with bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic RNAPs sharing significant sequence, structural, and functional similarities. Among the three eukaryotic RNAPs, RNA Polymerase II is most similar to bacterial RNAP in terms of both structural organization and folding topologies of the enzyme subunits. However, these similarities are not reflected in their mechanism of action.
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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.
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Updated: Apr 29, 2026

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events

Published on: May 13, 2019

SnapShot: nuclear RNAPII transcript modification.

Manfred Schmid¹, Torben Heick Jensen¹

¹Centre for mRNP Biogenesis and Metabolism, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.

|May 27, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

RNA polymerase II creates various RNA molecules, such as mRNA and miRNA. These crucial transcripts undergo essential modifications and processing within the cell nucleus, facilitated by specific enzymes.

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Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Genetics
Biochemistry

Background:

RNA polymerase II is central to gene expression, producing diverse RNA types.
Nascent RNA transcripts require extensive post-transcriptional modification.
Nuclear enzymes play critical roles in RNA processing and maturation.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a concise overview of RNA processing pathways.
To highlight the enzymes involved in nuclear RNA modification.
To illustrate the diversity of RNA transcripts generated by RNA polymerase II.

Main Methods:

Literature review and synthesis of current research.
Visual representation of RNA processing steps (SnapShot format).
Focus on key enzymes and their functions.

Main Results:

Detailed depiction of mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and sn(o)RNA processing.
Identification of essential enzymes for nuclear RNA modification.
Clarification of the sequential steps in RNA maturation.

Conclusions:

RNA polymerase II transcription is the first step in a complex RNA processing cascade.
Nuclear enzymes are indispensable for generating functional RNA molecules.
Understanding these processes is vital for comprehending gene regulation and cellular function.